Rock — All Formats  

A remarkable collection of psychedelic and garage rock that at this point really needs no introduction from us. 27 amazing tracks of seminal rock, including the Electric Prunes "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night", the Standells "Dirty Water", the Shadows Of Knight "Oh Yeah", the Seeds "Pushin' Too Hard", the 13th Floor Elevators "You're Gonna Miss Me", Count Five "Psychotic Reaction", the Leaves "Hey Joe", the Cryan Shames "Sugar & Spice", the Blues Magoos "Tobacco Road", Chocolate Watch Band "Let's Talk About Girls", and the Nazz "Open My Eyes", plus loads more!

A rare bit of David Byrne from the best years of the Talking Heads – tunes commissioned by Twyla Tharp for an offbeat piece of dance entitled The Catherine Wheel. A few of the tracks are vocals, and feature some of Byrne's most compelling lyrics from the time – and others are instrumentals, filled with guitar and prophet, and coming up with lots of dark rhythmic sounds that lie somewhere in the territory of experimental work at the time by Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Adrian Belew, and other mainstream avant rockers. Titles include "His Wife Refused", "Two Soldiers", "Red House", "My Big Hands", "Big Business", and "What A Day That Was".

An 80s pop treasure – and a real bright spot in a mainstream world that often had plenty of clunky moments! The album represents a great step forward for the duo of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn – as Watt's arrangements are even fuller and more focused than before – still lots of jazz in the mix, but on a larger scale that's really great – almost pushing them into a classic old school style – with a blend of orchestrations and vocals that's perfect for both the songwriting and Tracey Thorn's vocals! Titles include "Come On Home", "A Country Mile", "Careless", "Sugar Finney", "Come Hell Or High Water", "Fighting Talk", and "Little Hitler".

180 gram vinyl reissue of one of the classics of the New York punk scene. Tracks include "Love Comes In Spurts", "Liars Beware", "Blank Generation", "Walking On The Water", and "Another World".

One of Morrissey's first big tracks as a solo act – backed her with a live version of "People Are The Same Everywhere" – all pressed up on a sweet limited edition picture 45!

The Roger Corman-Phil Spector year of the mighty Ramones! End Of The Century is a huge departure from the 1-2-3-4 burst and roar of the first 4 Ramones albums – a big ol' Phil Spector production – recorded concurrently with the filming of late 70s hottie PJ Soles dancing around in her underwear with a shy and shell-shocked Joey in Rock And Roll High School! Lord knows that End Of The Century was the end of the Ramones as we knew and loved them on LP (they remained great live until the very end), but it holds up very well and the big sound brings a smile. Plus it's got "Chinese Rock", worth the price alone. Other tracks include "Do You Remember Rock'N'Roll Radio?", "I'm Affected", "Danny Says", "The Return Of Jack & Judy", "Let's Go", "Baby, I Love You", "I Can't Make It On Time", "This Ain't Havana", "Rock N Roll High School", "All The Way" and "High Risk Insurance".

As great a rock & roll album as there's ever been! It's impossible to describe this record without sounding like a blow hard, but you really can't overstate what these four goony guys from Queens accomplished. 30-odd years of the most visceral pop music concentrated into 2 minute, 3 chord blasts of beautiful sonic catharsis – and they could barely even play. Thanks boys! Tracks include "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Beat On The Brat", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "I Don't Wanna Around With You", "Loudmouth", and "Today Your Love Tomorrow The World".

The third album by The Ramones and one that many fans argue is their very best – and they may be right! So. . .alright, let's get this straight right now – the songs don't sound the same, they ARE the same and that's why we love them! If you found a way to concentrate 30 years of the best rock & roll into two and a half minutes of beautiful primal energy that still manages to qualify as ear candy, would you try to change things up? Tracks include "Rockaway Beach", "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker", "Why Is It Always This Way", "Surfin Bird", "Do You Wanna Dance", and "Cretin Hop".

The fun fun soundtrack to Rock 'N' Roll High School – that gloriously, knowingly trashy Roger Corman produced movie vehicle for the Ramones! Of course The Ramones are all over he soundtrack, but it's got a bunch of 70s new wave and hard rock from Devo, Eno, Nick Lowe, Todd Rundgren and more. Includes "Rock N Roll High School", "I Want You Around", a medley of "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Pinhead", "California Sun" and more by The Ramones, "Come Back Jonee" by Devo, "Energy Fools The Magician" by Eno, "So It Goes" by Nick Lowe, "School Days" by Chuck Berry, "School's Out" by Alice Cooper and more.

A seminal 70s set from this key Aussie band – one that almost had more of an impact here in the US than they did in their homeland! The sound is pretty tight, even though there's some larger horns on some cuts – and The Saints have a razor-sharp guitar edge that doesn't profess to be punkish, but which sits alongside nicely with the other harder Sire work of the time. Titles include "Run Down", "This Perfect Day", "(I'm) Misunderstood", "International Robots", "No, Your Product", "Memories Are Made Of This", and "Lost & Found".

A classic Dutch jazz/rock outfit – with sweet guitars from Jan Akkerman, and a mix of funky flute and keyboards from Thijs Van Leer!

9 tracks in all, including the big hits "And She Was", "Road To Nowhere" and "The Lady Don't Mind", plus "Television Man", "Perfect World", "Creatures Of Love" and more.

A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's an incredibly hip blend of her own great songwriting and some of the more righteous strands of American soul music at the time. Most of the tracks are older soul numbers – some done relatively straight, others done with the more personal, contemplative style you'd expect from Nyro during these years. And decades before Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone started hitting territory like this, Nyro proved that a set of soul tracks like this could come off well, if handled with the right talent! Titles include "The Bells", "I Met Him On A Sunday", "Spanish Harlem", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Desiree", "The Wind", "Nowhere To Run", and "It's Gonna Take A Miracle".

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".

A surprisingly trippy record by Del Shannon! The set is way different than the simpler pop you may know from Shannon's bigger hits – and the album's a rare late 60s gem with great British touches that include production by Andrew Loog Oldham and backings by Arthur Greenslade! There's a compressed psychedelic approach going on here that's served up with mellow organ, baroque orchestrations, and standout instrumental touches that would almost be enough, even without Shannon's vocals. But Del's presence is really what holds the whole album together – bringing in a sense of sweetness from past years, but also showing a strong desire to move into more mature themes that creates a really great sort of tension. Tunes include a few originals by Del, plus a number of other great ones by Andrew Rose and Billy Nichols – with titles that include "Led Along", "It's My Feeling", "Mind Over Matter", "My Love Has Gone", "Cut & Come Again", "Runaway 67", and "He Cheated". CD also features 5 bonus tracks too – mono singles mixes of titles on the album!

The collected mid 70s psych/prog/funk rock of Benny Soebardja – a beacon from the Indonesian scene and for underground rock the world over – with nearly all of the material from his 3 great albums with his Lizard group! The Lizard Years is made up of tracks from the albums Lizard, Gut Rock and Night Train LPs – at a time when Benny was veteran of the regional scene with the groups Giant Step, The Peels and Shark Move – stepping out front and backed by an incredible group of musicians going by the name Lizard. The music is tripped out, though accessible – with guitars ranging from proggy to funky, spacey keys and quite a bit of flute – nicely sung by Benny, in English, and with a really unique vibe that sweeps you right in! We were introduced to Benny's style of this period via Now Again's Those Shocking, Shaking Days comp – and it's great to have such a sprawling collection here – complete with a great booklet that puts it all in perspective. 30 tracks on 2CDs: "18 Years Old", "Come Closer", "Crime", "In 1965", "Sunny Day", "Cynthia", "Candle Light", "The Advantage Of Music In Me", "Circle Of Love", "The End Of The World", "Someday", "I'm Still In Luv Wit Ya'", "Gut Rock", "Night Train", "Stroll On", "Talked About My Girl", "Woman Of Desire", "Struggle For Life", "A Signal From Outer Space" and more.

Mindblowing work from Vainica Doble – a Spanish group with a really unusual feel! The combo features dreamy vocals from singers Gloria Van Aerssen & Carmen Santonja – folded together in a style that's unlike any other female harmony work we can think of – hardly the sweet styles of Brasil 66, and instead a more sinister mode that has the voices kind of shifting back and forth against each other, working like twin sirens to draw the listener into the album! Instrumentation is equally compelling – a mix of psyche and folk modes, but with some fuller elements as well – making the fuzz sound a lot more special than usual, and creating an ambitious sound that reminds us of some of our favorite South American rock from the time. Titles include the funky "Quien Le Pone El Cascabel Al Gato" – plus "El Duende", "Dime Felix", "Caramelo De Limon", "Fulgencio Pimentel", "La Cotorra", "La Ballena Azul", and "Guru Zakun Kin Kon". CD features 8 bonus tracks and a huge booklet of notes!

Church rock from 60s Quebec – a surprisingly great set of work that's way better than you might think from the concept! French Canada has always been strongly Catholic place – but it's also one that's pretty creatively inspired, too – so it's no surprise that in the wake of Vatican 2, lots of younger musicians were trying to find a way to get the message across – but in cool, groovy styles that really show the changes in sounds at the time! Some of these cuts are as freaky and fantastic as those heard on psych compilations from the Mucho Gusto label – and others have a cool funky approach – with lots of weird rhythms and offbeat instrumentation that's hardly what you'd expect to hear when walking into a church – and more in line with some of the more experimental rock-mass work from the US. Titles include "Raconte Moi" by Les Nocturnes, "Pierre" by Michel Conte, "Dieu Ne Se Mange Plus" by Jacques Michel, "Rappelle Toi Seigneur" by Steve Fiset, "Si Tous Les Hommes Voulaint" by Touladi & Gilles Jerome, "Ma Petite Esperance" by Les Messageres De Joi, "J'Ai Grand Desire De Votre Amour" by Les Allegros, "Gloire A Toi Tu Viens Nous Sauver" by Operation Jeunesse, and "Alleluia" by Pierre Labelle & Rene Angelil.

Church rock from 60s Quebec – a surprisingly great set of work that's way better than you might think from the concept! French Canada has always been strongly Catholic place – but it's also one that's pretty creatively inspired, too – so it's no surprise that in the wake of Vatican 2, lots of younger musicians were trying to find a way to get the message across – but in cool, groovy styles that really show the changes in sounds at the time! Some of these cuts are as freaky and fantastic as those heard on psych compilations from the Mucho Gusto label – and others have a cool funky approach – with lots of weird rhythms and offbeat instrumentation that's hardly what you'd expect to hear when walking into a church – and more in line with some of the more experimental rock-mass work from the US. Titles include "Raconte Moi" by Les Nocturnes, "Pierre" by Michel Conte, "Dieu Ne Se Mange Plus" by Jacques Michel, "Rappelle Toi Seigneur" by Steve Fiset, "Si Tous Les Hommes Voulaint" by Touladi & Gilles Jerome, "Ma Petite Esperance" by Les Messageres De Joi, "J'Ai Grand Desire De Votre Amour" by Les Allegros, "Gloire A Toi Tu Viens Nous Sauver" by Operation Jeunesse, and "Alleluia" by Pierre Labelle & Rene Angelil.

A slightly headier sound than before from Chad & Jeremy – music that's still in a great mix of Brit Invasion and Sunshine Pop, but which also shows a somewhat deeper sensibility too – a desire to reach past the simpler pop modes that first got the pair going here in the US! Chad Stuart's listed as the music director for the album – and we're not sure if he's the one responsible for the sound, but there's definitely some great elements going on – bits of flute, harpsichord, flugelhorn, and more – all wrapped up beautifully with some great production that hangs the whole album in a warmly harmonic pillow of sound. Titles include "Ain't It Nice", "Distant Shores", "Morning", "Homeward Bound", "You Are She", and "Don't Make Me Do It". CD features a whopping 13 bonus tracks – including "Last Night", "Teenage Failure", "Anytime", "Sticks & Stones", "Love Is Strange", and "If You Need Somebody".

The one-and-only record by Anonymous – a mid 70s Indianapolis group who only ever pressed up a few hundred copies – and now it's one of best and most desired private press gems of its time! It's got a great sound that bears the influences of some of the great California combos of the period – think The Byrds and Crosby Stills Nash & Young – with great lead and harmony vocals and brilliant acoustic guitar work. What's most remarkable is that their songs and performances live up to those groups – it really seems like the only thing that held them back was the lack of a big production budget, promotion and distribution. Talent-wise, they have the goods! A really solid, timeless set. Includes "Who's Been Foolin'?", "J Rider", "Up To You", "Shadow Lay", "Pick Up And Run", "We Got More", "Sweet Lilac" and "Baby Come Risin'". This first ever licensed re-release feature liner notes by Aaron Milenski of Acid Archives.

The one-and-only record by Anonymous – a mid 70s Indianapolis group who only ever pressed up a few hundred copies – and now it's one of best and most desired private press gems of its time! It's got a great sound that bears the influences of some of the great California combos of the period – think The Byrds and Crosby Stills Nash & Young – with great lead and harmony vocals and brilliant acoustic guitar work. What's most remarkable is that their songs and performances live up to those groups – it really seems like the only thing that held them back was the lack of a big production budget, promotion and distribution. Talent-wise, they have the goods! A really solid, timeless set. Includes "Who's Been Foolin'?", "J Rider", "Up To You", "Shadow Lay", "Pick Up And Run", "We Got More", "Sweet Lilac" and "Baby Come Risin'". This first ever licensed re-release feature liner notes by Aaron Milenski of Acid Archives.

Titles include "Hurricane", "Isis", "Joey", "Romance In Durango", "Sara", and "One More Cup Of Coffee".

Rarely has a compilation on an artist ever been done so well! This materful set compiles all of the rare recordings made by The Left Banke for Mercury during the late 60's – and it puts all 26 tracks together with a great set of notes that details the rocky history of the group. If you don't know The Left Banke, their unique style of "baroque rock" is a wonderful mix of groovy organ, electric harpsichord, and swirling strings – all set as instrumentation for some of the tightest, grooviest little songs you'll ever hear. Nearly every track on here is a toe-tapping hummer, and even if you know their big hits like "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina", you'll still find lots of other goodies like "Desiree", "Ivy Ivy", "Barterers & Their Wives", and "I Haven't Got The Nerve". Great stuff, and a CD that we're never without on a road trip!

An amazing look at an amazing label – the groundbreaking Dandelion Records, an early home to John Peel's much heralded talent for picking up on the best new music! The label only existed for a few short years, but left behind an amazing legacy of music – a blend of folk, rock, and other genres that are usually presented in a deeply personal, sometimes-leftfield sort of way. Peel gave full control of the music and its presentation to the artist – and as a result, most of the tunes here are quite free from cliche and conventional expectations you may have of music from the period. Perhaps the greatest Dandelion contribution was giving a space for up and coming singer/songwriters – and you'll hear plenty of them here alongside other artists who are both more traditional and more experimental. Titles include "To B Without A Hitch" by Bridget St John, "Sleeping Town" by Beau, "All For Tomorrow" by Medicine Head, "Harry Krishna" by Bill Oddie, "Almost Liverpool" by Mike Hart, "Ruby Baby" by Gene Vincent, "You Really Got Me" by Stackwaddy, "Carrie" by Clifford T Ward, "No Tree Will Grow" by Supersister, "Mood" by The Coxhill/Bedford Duo, "Cheat Me" by Kevin Coyne, "Strange Locomotion" by Siren, "King Dick II" by The Way We Live, and "Yamasuki" by The Yamasukis. An amazing package – 3CDs, 64 tracks, and a huge booklet of notes on the label and artists!

First time on vinyl in the US!

An amazing view of Iran in the years before the Ayatollah – a rich tapestry of mainstream music that really opens up our understanding of the country at the time! Before the revolution, Iran was one of the most modern nations in the Middle East – and the tunes here really show a strong desire to blend regional traditions with more Western sounds – not just the trippy psych and rock you might know from other compilations, but a good deal of other pop modes too! The tunes often have the vocals right out front, layered over lively rhythms backed by fuller orchestrations – often, on some of the best cuts, with an energy that reminds us of Indian or Pakistani pop of the period. Other numbers get a bit more romantic, but in ways that are still pretty compelling – given the unusual instrumentation, production, and obvious difference in language. Notes are great – almost a guidebook to Iranian popular music at the time – and titles include "Gheseye Rooze Siah" by Habib, "Khaar" by Kourush Yaghmaei, "Ey Vallah" by Pooran, "Omadi" by Shohreh, "Goftam Be Chasm" by Hassan Khayatbashi, "Kalaghaey Khabarchin" by Leila Forouhar, "Tang Ast Dilam" by Ahmad Zahir, "Age Mishod Che Mishod" by Googoosh, "Hobab" by Neli, "Asheghi Doroughe" by Hamid Shabkhiz, and "Abre Payizi" by Simin Ghanem. 28 tracks on 2CDs.

The second compilation in the L'Anthologia series from Italy's Cramps label – following up the funky first anthology with an incredible set of rare punk, post punk and new wave from the late 70s Italian scene! We can't speak for the world on the subject of Italian punk and new wave scene(s) of the period, but to us, this set makes a great case for the need to dig deeper nto it. The sounds range from raucous punk rock at it's most feral and raw, to more electronics textured, to the javant azz & clubby influences that also ran through some of the No Wave era's finest. Truly cool stuff – we hope they do another one like this in the series! 21 tracks in all: "Io Sono Un Autonomo" by "Skiantos", "Mano Armata" by Decibel, "Nevadagaz" by Gaznevada, "Intoxication" by Rancid X, "Europe" by "NOIA", "SW Digestian" by The Stupid Set, "Desire Crazy Desire" by Mixo, "Basta Basta" by Kaos Rock, "UFO Dictatator" by Tampax, "Informations Of Death" by Neon.

A brilliant little comeback album for Roxy Music – their first album in 4 years after Siren, and a well-done departure that takes off from older records without losing any of their greatness! In a way, the set's almost the group's Lodger – a similar effort to Bowie's record from the same time that reflects a move away from heavier styles of earlier years, but never loses the edge of the group's best work. Manifesto also reflects some of the lessons learned by Bryan Ferry on his solo records – a bit leaner and cleaner presentation of the songs – but the album itself is also strongly a group production effort, and certainly feels that way in its use of Phil Manzenera's great guitars and Andy Mackay's horn arrangements. Titles include "Ain't That So", "Stranger Through The Years", "Trash", "Manifesto", "Angel Eyes", "Spin Me Round", "Cry Cry Cry", and "My Little Girl".

A brilliant little comeback album for Roxy Music – their first album in 4 years after Siren, and a well-done departure that takes off from older records without losing any of their greatness! In a way, the set's almost the group's Lodger – a similar effort to Bowie's record from the same time that reflects a move away from heavier styles of earlier years, but never loses the edge of the group's best work. Manifesto also reflects some of the lessons learned by Bryan Ferry on his solo records – a bit leaner and cleaner presentation of the songs – but the album itself is also strongly a group production effort, and certainly feels that way in its use of Phil Manzenera's great guitars and Andy Mackay's horn arrangements. Titles include "Ain't That So", "Stranger Through The Years", "Trash", "Manifesto", "Angel Eyes", "Spin Me Round", "Cry Cry Cry", and "My Little Girl".