Rock — LPs  

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".

A nice 6 song mini LP/EP scorcher from Portsmouth, NH garage rockers The Connection! Seven Nights To Rock is a hook-filled blast – with a tight, no frills and no-nonsense style inspired by the greatests 60s garage sounds – and a tuneful delivery that's above and beyond so many of their contemporary peers. The group not only has a great ear for hooks, but the ability to pull them off with a mix of raucous rock and sweeter harmonies. Fun stuff! Includes "Seven Nights To Rock", "I Think She Digs Me", "Comes 'N Goes", "Bad To Worse", a cover of The Ramones rarity "Yeah Yeah" and in another cool nod to The Ramones – the Connection original "Gonna Leave You" features production by Ed Stasium – producer/engineer of some the Ramones most treasured material!

An amazing step sideways for London's Zoot Money – a move from mod to psych, with a trippy quality that's quite different from his jazzy sound a few years before! The group's got legendary fame – not just for the shift in styles by Zoot, but also for the fact that it features key work from a young Andy Summers – later of The Police – who works here with some great tones on guitar, and plenty of fresh ideas in all the songs he penned on the record! Money's vocals are wonderful – almost as if Georgie Fame were singing on a psych album – which is as unusual and compelling as you might think. These sessions were recorded in the late 60s, but mostly unissued at the time – but really rank with the best of the early Syd Barrett or Kevin Ayers generation – with titles that include "Coffee Song", "Madman Running Through The Fields", "This Island", "High Flying Bird", "Four Firemen", "Soma (parts 1 & 2)".

A totally great project from Bryan Ferry – completely unlike anything that he or Roxy Music have ever done in the past – even though the whole thing is a tribute to the glory days of the group! The tunes are all famous 70s tracks by the group, but they're redone here as jazz instrumentals – not just jazzy takes on the music of Roxy, but work with a much older vintage – really 20s-styled versions of the tunes – with instrumentation that's completely faithful, as is the production – so that you'd honestly think you're listening more to a collection of older 78s from the days of acoustic recording – even though the songs are oddly familiar. The vintage jazz mode prevails so much that the core melodies of the tunes aren't even apparent at first – they kind of sneak up on you with a nice sense of surprise, and only after a bit do you actually catch the song – but even then, marvel at the way that the older melody has this sinister sound that still comes through amidst the blend of trombone, clarinet, guitar, and skittish rhythms. A brilliant set – far more charming than we would have expected – and titles include "The Bogus Man", "Love Is The Drug", "Do The Strand", "Don't Stop The Dance", "Virginia Plain", "This Island Earth", and "Avalon".

One of greatest moments of genius by pop vocals eccentric Harry Nilsson – the classic early 70s "story" album The Point – perhaps is most imaginative work! The Point is a weird tale of a kid whose head was differently shaped than the rest of his townsfolk (hey, we're not making this up!), which leads him to go on a Yellow Submarine-esque psychedelic odyssey to sort out his identity and feelings! In the end, everything ends up all happy and sweet, but not before Nilsson lays down some very cool, very groovy tracks over nice off-beat instrumentation arranged and conducted by George Tipton. Titles include "Everything's Got 'Em", "Me And My Arrow", "Poli High", "Think About Your Troubles", "Life Life", "Are You Sleeping?", "POV Waltz" and more. This reverent 2012 vinyl reissue from Get On Down includes a reproduction of the original 11.5" X 11.5" full color comic storyboard by Gary Lund – with the lyrics printed in the gatefold. Beautiful!

Vocal jazz, but with plenty of tripped-out touches – hardly what you'd expect from a Norwegian group with plenty of Christian leanings! That's Why were one of the key groups to reform the sound of church music in Norway at the end of the 60s – and work here with a unique hybrid of jazz fusion, folk, and these wonderful scatting harmonies that really make the music sparkle – almost a Free Design sort of energy, but even more complicated overall! Given that the lyrics are Norwegian, you'll miss most of the spiritual messages in the tunes – but that gives you an even greater chance to focus on the cool interplay between electric piano, acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, and core modal rhythms – a wonderful blend that's unlike anything else we can think of. Titles include "Noe Annet", "Dyp Av Nade", "Udoyeleg", "Mattheus 25", "Tiden", "Children Of The Future Age", and "Den Oppstadne".

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 heck of a discovery – early recordings Townes Van Zandt cut in mid 60s Nashville – a couple of years before his official solo debut, and a soul shakingly beautiful mix of his country folk blues storytelling and some more rollicking numbers that work exceptionally well! One of the things that's most striking about it is how wise and knowing his songs and his voice are this early in his game, with the more intimate voice and guitar numbers sounding great. The few songs with busier instumentation work, too, and that's even more surprising give the Townes loner folk ouvre. We didn't think there could be much Townes left unreleased, especially of this quality! Titles include "Black Widow Blues", "Maryetta's Song", "Hunger Child Blues", "Black Jack Mama", "When Your Dream Never Dies", "Big Country Blues", "Gypsy Friday", "Colorado Blues", "Black Crow Blues" and more.

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.

A damn legendary record from the last years of Chess Records – and for good reason, too! Archie Whitewater were a group that was years ahead of its time – a rock combo, but one with real genre-crossing sensibilities that made them perfect for the experimental styles at the Cadet/Concept side of Chess – the same slice of the musical universe that gave us Rotary Connection and important productions from Charles Stepney! The sound here has some surprisingly soulful elements at times – especially the instrumentation, which features some great break moments that get nice and funky, and strands of soulful jazz and blues that really make the music way different than most other groups we can think of – or maybe a bit like a rare elite who shared such visionary territory with Archie Whitewater, such as Shades Of Joy on their first Fontana record. The keyboards and sax lines are as great as the drums – and the vocals have a melancholy undercurrent that's a really refreshing change from some of the overly-postured modes you'd get from other groups in 1970. Titles include the sublime sample cut "Cross Country" – but there's loads of other nice ones with the same stripped-down "Dusty Fingers" sort of groove – and other titles include "Life Is A River", "Home Again", "Lament For The Walking Dead", "Seacoast", "Country To the City", "Friends & Neighbors", and "Mist Of The Early Morning".

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"".

Big Star's amazing Third (or 3rd if you please) – one of the best one-time lost rock albums of the 70s, if not ever – a record that was tough to find for years before finally becoming an acknowledged classic! How this could have ever been thought of as anything less than essential is a mystery. There's this weary quality to the vocals and songwriting of Alex Chilton that's sublime – paired with a raw, rocking underbelly – and finished with strings, horns and other Memphis-y accents. You could think that it all sounds like an ill fit – but no, it's glorious! This vinyl version from 4 Men With Beards features the original cover and original mixes of the 1978 release. Tracks include "Stroke It Noel", their great cover of the Velvets "Femme Fatale", "Thank You Friends", "Jesus Christ", "Holocaust", "Blue Moon", "Take Care" and more.

A rare slice of power pop from the end of the 70s – just the kind of indie label gem that makes the genre so great! In a world where so many other groups were getting punky or quirky, The Toms keep things tight and right – really focusing on catchy melodies and well-penned rhythms – delivered with a simple, straightforward approach that's free from gimmicks, but plenty darn compelling. Lyrics are pretty fresh, but also have a sort of "instant classic" feel – making you wonder if you'd heard the songs before, given the way they grab you right away. Titles include "Let's Be Friends Again", "You Must Have Crossed My Mind", "Other Boys Do", "The Door", "It's Needless", "The Flame", "Think About Me", and "Better Than Anyone Else".

A wild collection of rare tracks from this legendary group of the Tropicalia scene – a few outtakes and live tracks, but also some cool commercials, and collaborations with Caetano Veloso too – all brought together in a set that's a great complement to their famous albums of the late 60s! Maybe the most striking are a series of spots the group did for Shell gasoline – work we can't help but think they did with an ironic twist – and the set also features tracks with Veloso, "Marcianita" and "A Voz Do Morto" – plus "Balada Do Louco (outtake)", "Gloria Ao Rei Dos Confins Do Alem (live)", "Panis Et Circensis (live)", "E Proibido Poibir (live)", "Ando Meio Desligado/Nao Fez Marola (long)", "Caminhante Noturno (Franca 1969)", and "Baemacumba (Franca 1969)".

Amazing sounds from the legendary Rodriguez – the brilliant 70s singer who had a groove that was equal parts soul, funk, rock, and folk – and an overall approach that was pretty darn unique! Most numbers here have some acoustic guitar over slightly funky rhythms – perfectly scored to work with Rodriguez's raspy soul vocals, which have an undeniably heartfelt style – somewhere in a space between Terry Callier and early Jose Feliciano, but very much its own mode too! Titles include "Sugar Man", "Cause", "I Wonder", "Like Janis", "Jane S Piddy", "I Think Of You", "Inner City Blues", and "Sandrevan Lullaby Lifestyles".

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

An amazing second set from Sixto Rodriguez – recorded in the legendary Landsdowne Studios in London, with a groove that's a great extension from his debut! All of Rodriguez's best elements are in place here – his folksy guitar, personal lyrical style, and surprisingly biting approach to a variety of topics – and the London setting provides him with an even more sophisticated backdrop than before, one that creates a rich palette of sounds that takes the music in some really wonderful directions! There's a bit of strings at times, but most instrumentation is by a small combo – which includes Chris Spedding on guitar and Tony Carr on percussion – so that Rodriguez's vocals and guitar are really right up front in the mix, recorded with a brilliant balance between sharpness and compassion. Titles include "Climb Up On My Music", "Silver Words", "Heikki's Suburbia Bus Tour", "I Think Of You", "To Whom It May Concern", "Halfway Up The Stairs", and "Cause".