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A comprehensive anthology of The Electric Prunes singles for Reprise – all in their original mono mixes – and a long overdue collection! We've been spinning and loving the Electric Prunes albums for so long, we're actually quite guilty of overlooking just how succinctly and sharply brilliant they are as a singles band! That alone makes this strong set on Real Gone worthwhile, but the tight, punchy mono mixes seal the deal! All of the great singles are here – from their early garage-psych gems to the trippier, though still tightly-grooving tunes towards the end of the decade – plus a groovy radio spot for the Vox Wah Wah Pedal! Includes "Ain't It Hard", "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)", "Luvin'", "Dr. Do-Good", "The Great Banana Hoax", "Credos", "Shadow", "Violent Rose", "Sell", "Love Grows", "The Adoration", "Help Us (Father, Our King)", "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers", "Sanctus", ""Flowing Smoothly" and more. 24 tracks in all.

Glittering sunshine pop throughout! MC Squared has a name that may sound like a weak late 80s crossover rapper, but the group's a killer harmony act from late 60s Reprise Records – produced to perfection by Lenny Waronoker, and given the same mix of tight studio and hip undercurrents that you'd find in the hippest of the late 60s Warner generation – that slightly sinister edge that can always make LA pop of the time go a lot deeper than you might expect! This package is a true treasure trove of the group's work – their one full album for Reprise, plus bonus tracks from singles – all with a sound that you'd stack proudly next to work by artists like Roger Nichols or Paul Williams at the time. Titles include "The Dolphins", "Adults Only", "Bornatzatt", "Ghost Of Man", "Miss Abercrombie", "Do You Care", "Smilin", "Karneeval", and "Tantalizing Colours". Bonus tracks include "Or Something", "SST", "My Mind Goes High", "Smilin (mono)", and "Time Will Equalize".

Titles include "Chloe", "Yellow Roses", "Smack Dab In The Middle", "The Bourgeois Blues", "I Got Mine", and "He'll Have To Go".

The second album done by David Axelrod for The Electric Prunes – and arguably the best! The album's a bit unusual, in that none of the original Prunes were actually working on the session – and instead, Axlerod's almost fully at the helm – putting together the set in a way that's quite similar to his own solo albums over at Capitol! As with those, there's a bold, spacious sort of instrumentation here – richly orchestral, but also quite funky at times – punctuated by great drums from Earl Palmer, bass from Carol Kaye, keyboards from Don Randi, and guitar from Howard Roberts – who's really tripping out nicely here! The work uses the Jewish Kol Nidre mass as its conceptual locus – but really takes off with plenty of tripped-out Axelrod flourishes that make the whole thing a fair bit more psychedelic than anything you'd ever hear in temple. Titles include "Holy Are You", "The Adoration", "Our Father, Our King", "Kol Nidre", and "General Confessional".

A great solo record from Donald Fagen – tightly anchored by the best of his elegant jazz funk tendencies – and one that we're comfortable calling his best since The Nightfly! Shoot, we'll even go one step further and call this the best Steely Dan-related record since Two Against Nature. Sunken Condos is co-produced by frequent latter-day Dan collaborator Michael Leonhart, who put out a terrific record of his own on Truth & Soul a couple years prior, on top of serving as a go-to horn player for team Truth & Soul over the years. It's possible that working with a relatively youthful producer (Leonart was born the year that Pretzel Logic came out) has pushed Donald to raise the bar a bit, or perhaps he's been off the road long enough to take his time and deliver a stronger album in 2012. Whatever the reason – it's great stuff! They've put together a top notch studio band (naturally), and the slick groove sounds natural here, rather than shined to a high gloss, ala most Steely Dan and solo projects from Aja onward. We're so deep "in the tank" when it comes to Steely Dan that we're a pretty easy mark, but honestly, we can set aside our lifelong fandom to objectively tell you how good this one is! Titles include "Slink Thing", "I'm Not The Same Without You", "Memorabilia", "Weather In My Head", "The New Breed", "Out Of The Ghetto", "Miss Marlene", "Good Stuff" and "Planet D'Rhond A".

A rare album by the legendary guitarist John Fahey. Despite a cheesy cover, and the proclamation that the record features Fahey "and his orchestra", the record's mostly just has Fahey's spare haunting guitar – although a few tracks have some larger arrangements, with sort of that Burbank-kitsch old time sound that was so popular with Van Dyke Parks and the Warner crew. Titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverley", and "Horses".

Pre-Bread work from Jimmy Griffin – recording here in a sweet Cali setting, thanks to arrangements from the young Jack Nitzsche! The album's got all the light sounds and sunny feelings you'd guess from the title and cover – but Jimmy's also got a voice that's surprisingly strong, too – really pushing its range as the album moves on, as if he's waiting to hit more mature material in later years! Nitzsche's touch in the studio is greatly appreciated too – that perfect sort of poise that made his pop instrumentation way more than the usual, with a wonderful sense of focus throughout. Titles include "Too Young", "She Used To Be Mine", "My Baby Made Me Cry", "The Bully", "You're Tempting Me", and "Cold Rainy Day". CD also features 9 bonus tracks – including "Running to You", "Marie Is Moving", "Little Miss Cool", "Girls Grow Up Faster", and "It's A Free Country".

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze".

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze".

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze".

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more.

A true classic by Jimi with the original Experience lineup – the third of three straight up masterpiece LPs to comeout in just over a year's time by the group! You could call the leftfield astral effects in the mix experimental if you had to – innovations in the studio with echo, that hallucinatory backwards sound effect and other stranger bits – but the passionate, naturally expressive playing and singing by Jimi makes it all fell just right, and the Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell still don't get enough credit for being at the heart of such greatness. A massive 2LP effort that include s"Voodoo Chile", "Crosstown Traffic", "Electric Ladyland", "Little Miss Strange", "Moon Turn The Tides", "Still Raining Still Dreaming" and "All Along The Watchtower".

Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied".

Post Pearls Before Swine work from Tom Rapp – a record that has him stepping out as a solo act, but with a feel that's quite similar to his recordings with the group! The mood here is laidback and slightly folksy – but also augmented more by piano than by guitar, and recorded with a watery style that works wonderfully with Rapp's sad-tinged vocals. A number of the songs appear to be remakes of versions from earlier years – and titles include "Snow Queen", "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Sail Away", "Full Phantom Five & I Shall Not Care", "These Things Too", and "Grace Street".

Quite possibly the biggest early moment of US fame for Roxy Music – thanks to the classic "Love Is The Drug", which kicks off the album and is easily one of the group's best-known tunes of the 70s! The album tightens things up slightly from the sound of Country Life before – not as many dark corners, but still plenty of the offbeat styles that make these early Roxy Music albums so great – with none of the softer styles that took over during the early 80s years. Other tracks include "End Of The Line", "Sentimental Fool", "She Sells", "Could It Happen To Me", "Both Ends Burning", "Just Another High", and "Whirlwind".

Country, Nancy's way – but fortunately that way includes some great help from Lee Hazlewood, who's working here at the height of his powers! The set's got that sly, sexy twangy cowboy mode that was Lee's greatest contribution to Nancy – and the way the album's set up, it's almost more of a Hazlewood album with Nancy singing vocals – than a Nancy Sinatra record with Lee helping out. Lee duets with Nancy on the classic "Jackson", and on "Oh Lonesome Me" – and other tracks include "End of the World", "Help Stamp Out Loneliness", and "Lonely Again".

A rootsy group from the Chicago scene, but one with a fair amount of wit, too – a subtle political agenda that's buried a bit beneath more rocking modes, and which really helps set these guys apart from the pack! The songwriting is often pretty smart, at least from a social perspective – couched amidst riffs and rhythms that are more mainstream overall, yet which know how to underscore the right punch of the group's intentions. A key illustration of this fact is the longer "Gospel" track – kind of a mini-suite aimed at Christian radio – but the elements bubble forth on other tunes that include "Rock Garden", "Pot Of Gold", "Reno", and "The Authentic British Blues".

Titles include "Little Wing", "Lost In Space", "Hawks & Doves", "Union Man", "Stayin Power", and "Captain Kennedy".

An amazing movie in sound – supposedly music (and more) that was going to be used in a film project, issued to the public while Zappa was trying to raise money for production! The album's one of the most tripped-out studio efforts to date from the group – loads of overdubbing, and wonderfully complicated instrumentation – with some especially great keyboards from Don Preston and Ian Underwood, whose keys alone almost preface the future of fusion – while, at the same time, display some key links to 20th century avant music as well! Vocals are dropped in at just the right time, but the instrumental interplay is what really makes the record special – over many short tracks that include "Mr Green Genes", "We Can Shoot You", "Dog Breath Variations", "Sleeping In A Jar", "The Legend Of The Golden Arches", "Uncle Meat", "Cruising For Burgers", and "King Kong" in many variations.

Though one of her groovy Hazlewood produced albums, she only does two Hazlewood-penned tunes on this one: "Coastin", and "Sugar Town". The rest of the songs are the old-timey standards like "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Vagabond Shoes", "Let's Fall In Love", "Oh! You Beautiful Doll" and "Hard Hearted Hannah", though you might not guess that from the hot front cover featuring Nancy posing in a mod pink bikini.

An incredible record – and quite possibly our favorite Beach Boys album ever! Sunflower is the kind of record that's easy to pass by when you're first getting into the group, but later on – after digging for gems on records like Wild Honey or Friends, you'll come back to it as a totally solid record, filled with loads of excellent little songs like "Slip On Through", "This Whole World", "Cool, Cool Water", "Tears In The Morning", and "Add Some Music To Your Day". The whole thing holds together better than any other post-Smile album we can think of – and it's an endless treat that we're always coming back to!

All the Jimi hits you'd ever want in one place! Titles include "Purple Haze", "Fire", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Stone Free", "Crosstown Traffic", "All Along The Watchtower", "Red House", "Foxy Lady", and "Hey Joe".

Titles include "Aqualung", "My God", "Slipstream", "Locomotive Breath", "Wind UP", and "Mother Goose".

Beautiful early work from Jethro Tull – a formative set that really has the group deepening both their themes and their music! Titles include "A New Day Yesterday", "Back To The Family", "Fat Man", "Reasons For Waiting", "Nothing Is Easy", and the classic instrumental "Bouree".

Jethro Tull's classic prog album–or is it a parody of a prog album? The LP-length "song", filled with dense lyrics, alternates between hard rock, English folk, and classical.

Titles include "Morning Morgantown", "For Free", "Conversation", "Ladies Of The Canyon", "The Arrangement", and "The Priest".

A heavy duty 3LP vinyl box set of Cream's unlikely and incendiary reunion shows at Royal Albert Hall in 2005! Pressed on cream coloured vinyl and includes a book. Titles include "I'm So Glad", "Spoonful", "Politician", "White Room", "Sunshine Of Your Love" and more. 19 tracks on 3LPs.

Recorded live at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY in '96.

Bizarre is right – and incredibly hip too! This was the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". CD includes the bonus tracks "Cotton Candy Sandman" and "Malibu U".

A dream – and the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". CD also includes the bonus tracks "Bye Bye Bye" and "Lost My Love Today".

A pretty great record from one of the coolest school teachers you could ever hope to have – the lovely Miss Rita Abrams, a hippie who was teaching in Marin County at the start of the 70s! The set's a project done by Abrams with her fourth grade class – a set that mostly features original tunes penned by Rita, filled with joy, hope, and the sort of optimism that characterized the Marin County scene of the post-Haight years – and performed with a cool blend of acoustic instrumentation next to Abrams keyboards – with some larger arrangements from Ed Bogas, who'd later work on hip soundtracks for Fantasy Records, across the Bay. There's nothing hokey about the set at all – as the tunes are great, and the kid-quality of the vocals is really kept to a minimum – more used to underscore the warmth in Rita's lead, and surprisingly never cloying at all – a lot like some of the best singer/songwriter projects on Reprise at the time, especially given Rita's cool electric keyboards. Titles include the cool single "Mill Valley" – plus "Floating Away", "Wonder", "Building A Heaven On Earth", "Running In The Green Grass", "Sweet Summertime", and "I Never Asked". CD also features three bonus tracks – "Sad Night", "The Happiest Day Of My Life", and "America Let's Get Started Again".

Creepy, strange and oddly beautiful late 60s eccentricity from Mort Shuman – a song writer and pivotal behind-the-scenes cat who's been credited for translating the Jacques Brel stuff that Scott Walker sung, as well as for bringing Brel to Broadway! This album is a very trippy kind of coldly social and personal commentary piece – with Shuman hissing and huskily cooing his way through songs and poetry in a style that's almost more like a sound collage at points – really tying him to the hipper sides of the American and French scenes of the time. Titles include the hypnotic and disturbing "Born 1969/Hallelujah Chorus", "Mon Enfance", "To Katie", "She Ain't Nothing", "Caramels", "Sonatina", "Wait A Minute", "Free At Last", "Song For Old Lovers", and "My Death".

A stone classic – with "Southern Man", "Crippled Creek Ferry", "I Believe Inh You", "After The Goldrush", and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart".

Amazing sounds from Lee Hazlewood – some of his most offbeat, unbridled recordings ever – and that's saying a lot if you've already heard his classics for Mercury, MGM, and Reprise! The package here brings together rare work from Lee's own LHI label – packaged beautifully with a rich set of notes, session details, and some amazing photos that follow in the spirit of the nutty-looking cover image! Hazlewood's voice is sublime throughout – that deeper-than-deep quality that always leaves us breathless – perfect for the sly wit and and "aw shucks" sensibility of the tunes – and also for unlocking the growing adult sensuality that Lee was letting into his work at the time. A few female singers step forth in that great Hazlweood duet mode – Nina Lizell, Suzi Jane Hokom, and Ann Margret – who each sing on a few tracks – but Lee's in the lead on most numbers, and titles include the previously unreleased "I Just Learned To Run" – plus "The Bed", "Sleep In The Grass", "The Night Before", "If It's Monday Morning", "Won't You Tell Your Dreams", "Hey Cowboy", "No Train To Stockholm", "What's More I Don't Need Her", "Trouble Maker", and "Nobody Like You".

Amazing sounds from Lee Hazlewood – some of his most offbeat, unbridled recordings ever – and that's saying a lot if you've already heard his classics for Mercury, MGM, and Reprise! The package here brings together rare work from Lee's own LHI label – packaged beautifully with a rich set of notes, session details, and some amazing photos that follow in the spirit of the nutty-looking cover image! Hazlewood's voice is sublime throughout – that deeper-than-deep quality that always leaves us breathless – perfect for the sly wit and and "aw shucks" sensibility of the tunes – and also for unlocking the growing adult sensuality that Lee was letting into his work at the time. A few female singers step forth in that great Hazlweood duet mode – Nina Lizell, Suzi Jane Hokom, and Ann Margret – who each sing on a few tracks – but Lee's in the lead on most numbers, and titles include the previously unreleased "I Just Learned To Run" – plus "The Bed", "Sleep In The Grass", "The Night Before", "If It's Monday Morning", "Won't You Tell Your Dreams", "Hey Cowboy", "No Train To Stockholm", "What's More I Don't Need Her", "Trouble Maker", and "Nobody Like You".

A beautiful way to dive right into the some of best work ever by Joni Mitchell – a 10CD set that brings together her first 10 albums in a single set – including her great couple of early efforts for Reprise and her incredible Asylum work from throughout the 70s! These albums travel from gentle folk pop and rock, to an ambitious blend of jazzy experimental instrumental touches as a backdrop – and feature some of very best songcraft of the era by anyone! The titles include Songs For A Seagull, Clouds, Ladies Of The Canyon, Blue, For The Rose, Court And Spark, The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, Hejira, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter and Mingus – and nearly every one is essential!

Quite possibly the last truly sublime album ever recorded by Os Mutantes – a set that's a bit more rock-oriented then their first few, but still pretty revolutionary overall! The group have expanded to a quintet at this point, but haven't yet falling into the guitar-heavy groove of later years – and Rogerio Duprat is working with the group on arrangements, although Mutantes member Arnaldo Baptista is handling production chores himself. Odd styles still slide into the mix as the tunes roll on – creating that great sense of surprise that makes their best work so great, and keeping things fresh even when a bit more straight ahead! Titles include a reprise of "Baby", one of the group's early classics – plus "Portugal De Navio", "Virginia", "Tecnicolor", "El Justicero", "Lady, Lady", "Sarava", "It's Very Nice Pra Xuxu", and "Top Top".

Finer moments from Frank Zappa, but some lost moments too – given that all the tracks on the set are previously unreleased – and are pulled from both live and studio recordings during Zappa's formative late 60s/early 70s stretch! The package is a real treasure trove – a reward to fans of Frank who've waited so long for music like this – sounds to rival some of the most groundbreaking music from Zappa's years at Verve and Reprise, with incredibly deft instrumental interplay – often a bit more improvised in the live tracks than on the full albums of the time! The sound quality is pretty nice, especially given that a few of these tracks are from near-lost tapes or cassettes – and the package is very well-done – with super-heavy vinyl, and notes on all the tracks. Titles include "Sleazette", "The Walking Zombie Music", "Music From The Big Squeeze", "The Subcutaneous Peril", and "Pumped & Waxed".

Way before his recent soundtrack fame, Randy Newman was one heck of a great songwriter – and at the start of his career he penned some of his best songs ever – most of which are featured here in this sweet little set! Back in the 60s, Newman had an ear for unusual themes and topics – and wrote these great little songs that got real personal, really fast – moving past the fluffier themes of mainstream pop, and into more honest, earnest territory that really set the stage for the growth of the singer/songwriter at the end of the decade. Most of the recordings here pre-date Newman's own versions of the tunes during his classic years at Reprise – and they're a great illustration of the way his words already had a big impact on the world of 60s pop. CD features 26 tracks in all, by a surprising array of artists – and titles include "Love Story" by Rick Nelson, "Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear" by Alan Price, "Have You Seen My Baby" by Fats Domino, "Old Kentucky Home" by The Beau Brummels, "So Long Dad" by Nilsson, "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" by Dusty Springfield, "Big Brother" by Calvin Grayson, "Friday Night" by The O'Jays, "Happy New Year" by Beverley, "I Can't Remember Ever Loving You" by Tammy Grimes, "Looking For Me" by Vic Dana, "They Tell Me It's Summer" by The Fleetwoods, "Love Is Blind" by Erma Franklin, "Somebody's Waiting" by Gene McDaniels, and "Just One Smile" by The Tokens.

The complete recordings of Every Mothers' Son – two full albums, and a bonus single too! First up is the self-titled Every Mothers' Son album – filled with cool, catchy numbers that have a wonderfully sunny feel overall – and a spare approach that's a bit different than most of the group's contemporaries! The drums seem much more up in the mix than usual for this sort of work – snapping with a jaunty quality amidst guitar that's a bit more laidback, and harmonized vocals that have that perfect folk-into-pop mode that other Sunshine Pop groups were using at the time. There's a few blue notes here and there, which give the music some of the darker undercurrents you might hear in The Left Banke – and titles include "Come On Down To My Boat", "For Brandy", "I Won't", "Allison Dozer", "Sittin Here", "Come On Queenie", and "Didn't She Lie". The second album is a great step forward for Every Mothers' Son – a set that's got all the catchy charm of their debut, yet a deeper sound overall! There's a great maturation in the music going on here – as some cuts show a love of pop-psych elements, which comes off in fuller backings that swirl strongly around the lyrics – while other tracks have a leaner quality and more acoustic elements, almost into the territory of Beau Brummels on Reprise, especially given the way the vocals come across. The whole thing's a 60s pop treasure – filled with great original tunes that include "Rainflowers", "Dolls In The Clock", "Only Child", "Sally (Life Story #3)", "Put Your Mind At Ease", and "Larry's Birthday Party". CD also features a bonus mono single mix of "No One Knows".