Rock — All Formats  

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

Very unusual – a rare 10" promo – with shorter versions of songs, with markings for live copy to be added by local announcers! One sided too!

A lesser-remembered album from America, and one with some surprisingly nice moments, too! The group here are still working with producer George Martin – but they're recording in Hawaii, with some tight studio help – and almost hitting that sound they helped inspire in so many others with their earlier records – a perfect warm, mellow, seventies mode that's mighty nice throughout! A few tunes almost bring in an undercurrent of funk – more of a bit of a punch at the bottom, with less of the fragile acoustic modes of before – although a few nice tracks still have those in place as well. Drummer Willie Leacox brings in a nice kick to the set – and titles include "God Of The Sun", "Sergeant Darkness", "Sarah", "These Brown Eyes", "Don't Cry Baby", "Hurricane", and "Now She's Gone".

Warm, mellow, and completely sublime – the mighty America at the height of their powers – working with a quality that nobody else can match! The trio wrap together all the best ideas that were bubbling under in the LA scene of the late 60s – vocal harmonies, studio perfection, and even touches of rootsy instrumentation – yet find a space to work all these elements together in a rich sound that's completely unique – amazingly understated at times, despite a near-perfect level of production! The whole album's great – even their original version of "Muskrat Love" – nestled in here next to "Rainbow Song", "Submarine Ladies", "Molten Love", "Green Monkey", and "Goodbye".

A well-titled album, given that the overall feel here is maybe a bit more stripped-down and almost rootsy at times – even though the trio's still working with producer George Martin! The set was recorded in just a week at Caribou Ranch – and it's almost a return to the core harmonies and acoustic elements of the group's roots – cast out here with perfect compressed sound, yet also hitting harder with a few more punched-up moments at times too. There's a nice "past the hits" quality to the set – and titles include "She's A Liar", "Letter", "Watership Down", "Amber Cascades", "Lovely Night", and "Who Loves You" – plus "Hideaway (parts 1 & 2)", which has this great mellow groove and piano from Martin that could easily be a hip hop sample!

One of the greatest albums to come from the New York underground of the early 80s – even if it was a relatively big "hit" on a major label! Laurie Anderson is in perfect form here – drawing on a strong tradition of avant garde performance, but without any of the indulgences that would mire down performance art in years to come. Instead, she's got a clean, clear style that's simply amazing – spoken passages that are poetic and pointed, but which also have a slight undercurrent of wit – a charming quality that never takes itself too seriously, even when the sounds and styles are somewhat dark. Instrumentation includes some great rhythm passages from David Van Tieghem, plus surprising performances from Rufus Harley on bagpipes and George Lewis on trombone. Titles include "From The Air", "Big Science", "O Superman", "Born Never Asked", "Walking & Falling", "Example #22", "Let X = X", and "It Tango".

Recorded live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, February 7-10, 1983. A HUGE amount of material! Includes the tracks "Say Hello", "Walk The Dog", "Violin Solo", "Closed Circuits", "For A Large And Changing Room", "Pictures Of It", "Language Of The Future", "Reverb", "If You Can't Talk About It, Point To It", "City Song", "Finnish Farmers", "Democratic Way", "Private Property", "Neon Duet", "Difficult Listening Hour", "So Happy Birthday", "Dance Of Electricity", "Sax Duet", "Born, Never Asked", "From The Air", "Beginning French", "Talkshow", "Cello Solo", "Blue Lagoon", "Stiff Neck", "Hothead", "Telephone Song", "Sweaters", "We've Got Four Big Clocks", "I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test", "Big Top", "It Was Up In The Mountains", "Big Science", "Red Map", "Strike", "False Documents", and many, many more!

The first full length album recorded by the legendary Association – a classic bit of Sunshine Pop that would forever change the sound of the 60s! Although familiar, the album's got an amazing depth that still never fails to surprise today – odd production twists and turns, courtesy of a young Curt Boettcher; personally youthful harmonies that slip as often as they soar; and just the right touches of flower power to move the group away from their folkie roots into the new sun of a changing decade! The hits "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish" are almost worth the price of admission – but lesser-known cuts are even better, and show a wealth of great work penned by members of the group! Other titles include "Standing Still", "Message Of Our Love", "Changes", "I'll Be Your Man", "Blistered", "Round Again", "Remember" and "Enter The Young".

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

Fantastic dreamy pop! Despite the fact that this one yielded the super-huge hits "Windy" and "Never My Love", the album's also filled with great 60s pop tunes that you've probably never heard before – all as fantastically well-crafted and delicately strung-out as the big hits. The Association were truly one of the greatest 60s pop harmony groups to come out of the LA scene – and even a big hit album like this is the kind of gem that you'd spend years digging through rare vinyl to hope to find! Other titles include "Happiness Is", "On A Quiet Night", "We Love Us", "Reputation", and "Requiem For The Masses". This great expanded mono edition has 10 bonus tracks (!!!): "Autumn Afternoon", "Windy (Mono 45)", "Requiem For The Masses (Mono 45)", "Sometime (Instrumental)", "We Love Us (Instrumental)" and more.

A mix of pretty heavy garage psych and airier, trippier pop from Sean Bonniwell and his Bonniwell Music Machine for Warner Bros – moving beyond the rawer, headier material from the earlier music the more simply monikered Music Machine! There's a much broader reach here, from rugged rockers with lilting, weird pop – and sometimes a mix of the two. Tripped out strangeness and strangely catchy grooves! Titles include "Astrologically Imcompatible", "Double Yellow Line", "The Trap", "Soul Love", "Bottom Of The Soul", "Me, Myself, And I" and more.

Built To Spill at their late 90s live peak – on the Keep It Like A Secret tour! 2013 version includes the previously unreleased bonus tracks "Forget Remember When" and "Now and Then".

The third album from Alice Cooper and perhaps the first great one – starting the 70s sleaze show win streak with the massive "I'm Eighteen" –and a record full of great, gritty and grimy rock 'n' roll. Bob Ezrin's producing for the first time, and if the songs and the whole show isn't yet as menacingly theatrical as it would get to be in the following couple of years, the angry anthemic vibe is here and it's heavy! Other tracks include "Caught In A Dream", "Hallowed Be My Name", "Black Juju", "Is It My Body", "Second Coming", "Ballad Of Dwight Fry" and "Sun Arise".

The third album from Alice Cooper and perhaps the first great one – starting the 70s sleaze show win streak with the massive "I'm Eighteen" and an LP full of great, gritty and grimy rock and roll. Bob Ezrin's producing for the first time, and if the songs and the whole show isn't yet as menacingly theatrical as it would get to be in the following couple of years, the angry anthemic vibe is here and it's heavy! Other tracks include "Caught In A Dream", "Hallowed Be My Name", "Black Juju", "Is It My Body", "Second Coming", "Ballad Of Dwight Fry" and "Sun Arise".

The third album from Alice Cooper and perhaps the first great one – starting the 70s sleaze show win streak with the massive "I'm Eighteen" and an LP full of great, gritty and grimy rock and roll. Bob Ezrin's producing for the first time, and if the songs and the whole show isn't yet as menacingly theatrical as it would get to be in the following couple of years, the angry anthemic vibe is here and it's heavy! Other tracks include "Caught In A Dream", "Hallowed Be My Name", "Black Juju", "Is It My Body", "Second Coming", "Ballad Of Dwight Fry" and "Sun Arise".

Compilation of the earlier years of Deep Purple. Twelve tracks, including "Hey Joe", "Hard Road (Wring That Neck)", "Kentucky Woman", "The Shield", "Hush", "The Bird Has Flown", and "Mandrake Root".

First-ever vinyl release of the Flaming Lips at their most gonzo – the 4 disc set Zaireeka – with each intended to be played simultaneously! Call your friends with portable turntables and make it happen!

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".

The third album from Little Feat – and one that brings a bit of Crescent City rock and soul into the mix – but it's still Little Feat, so it's got a restless creative energy that's beautifully tough to classify! There's quite a bit of soul influences in the mix – especially the tunes with the female chorus backing vocals. Not a Dixie rock cliché to be found anywhere on it, either! Includes "Dixie Chicken", "Two Trains", "Roll Um Easy", "Kiss It Off", "Fat Man In The Bathtub", "Fool Yourself" and more.

The last album of the 70s by Little Feat – and it's a strange one! On one hand, Little Feat is revisiting some of their country rock and New Orleans-inspired roots of years past – as well as the self-conciously oddball humor. But they're also working in a tighter, leaner and cleaner studio sound than on the previous albums. Includes "Down On The Farm", "Six Feet Of Snow", "Front Page News", "Wake Up Dreaming", "Be One Now", "Kokomo", "Perfect Imperfection" and more.

Of course, this is not the last record album – it's not even the last album by Little Feat – but it's a damn good one! The Last Record Album isn't as creatively restless as the previous few albums, with kind of a laidback groove, overall – and we actually really dig Little Feat in a mellow mood! Includes "Romance Dance", "Long Distance Love", "Down Below The Borderline", "Mercenary Territory", "Don't Bogart That Joint", Somebody's Leavin" and more.

The first album from the great, freewheeling, genre-defying Little Feat! This album, like all the others from Little Feat, isn't easy to pigeonhole – rolling from sun-toasted country rock to roadhouse-y blues and beyond – in a way that feels perfectly right and natural. It's not as out there as a few of the later albums, but it's certainly among their best! Titles include "Snakes On Everything", "Strawberry Flats", "Forty Four Blues/How Many More Years", "Crack In Your Door", and "Takin My Time".

A later album from Little Feat – and one that adds some new dimensions to their ever-searching vibe! On Time Loves A Hero, Little Feat takes some surprising steps – even for them – into a bit of a fusiony rock vibe some of the time. Still, the soulful boogie rock and stripped down folky elements they always worked with are still in play. As always, they make these far-flung styles work together into a cohesive whole! Includes "Time Loves A Hero", "Hi Roller", "Old Folks Boogie", "Red Streamliner", "Rocket In My Pocket", "Missin' You", "Day At The Dog Races" and more.

A later album from Little Feat – and one that adds some new dimensions to their ever-searching vibe! On Time Loves A Hero, Little Feat takes some surprising steps – even for them – into a bit of a fusiony rock vibe some of the time. Still, the soulful boogie rock and stripped down folky elements they always worked with are still in play. As always, they make these far-flung styles work together into a cohesive whole! Includes "Time Loves A Hero", "Hi Roller", "Old Folks Boogie", "Red Streamliner", "Rocket In My Pocket", "Missin' You", "Day At The Dog Races" and more.

Sunshine pop from late 60s Florida – a cool little set from Mercy, a group that features a sweet mixture of guy and gal vocals over some nicely gentle rhythms! Production is by Brad Shapiro and Steve Alaimo, but the Warner release of the album seems to give it a cool sort of sophistication too – almost a darker take on more mainstream pop styles of the time, with a wry undercurrent that's hard to describe, but which sets the album apart nicely. Instrumentation includes organ and 12 string guitar underneath the vocals – and titles include "Love Can Make You Happy", "Forever My Love", "The Morning's Come", "Sounds Of Silence", "Love Is Blue", and "Do I Wanna Live My Life With 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!

A very high-art moment for Jack Nitzsche – and a set that prefaces most of his famous soundtrack work to come! The album's completely different than Jack's earlier work in the 60s – and is more of a full-scale orchestral session, done with the London Symphony Orchestra, and featuring some very serious compositions that go way beyond "The Lonely Surfer"! There's a dark complexity here that's really great – a sense of sound that's sometimes slightly off-camera (or off-mic, as the case may be) – brewing and bubbling up from the bottom, and giving a real sense of depth to the record. There's little here that will please fans of Nitzsche's earlier instrumental pop, but if you're a fan of his soundtrack work, you'll find this one to be especially amazing! The work "St Giles Cripplegate" is presented here in 6 movements – all composed and orchestrated by Jack!

The seminal Gram Parsons solo debut, and arguably his most consistant post-Burritos album. GP is pretty much the record that put the country in country rock – with a sharp steel guitar cry throughout, an unpretentious proud/poor delivery, and those sweet harmonies with Emmylou Harris. The album is split pretty evenly between tunes penned by Parsons, and other writers who aren't as deeply celebrated, like the great Tompall Glaser. Includes "Still Feeling Blue", "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning", "Streets Of Baltimore", "She", "That's All It Took", "Cry One More Time", and more.

Paul Simon's mid 80s landmark – a record that brought together Simon's unique voice and pop folk songwriting skill with South African, Chicano, zydeco other global musical styles – held together by some of the best songs Simon ever put together! With lesser material, this would feel like the well-intentioned "world music" album by an aging star, but Simon transcends that in a big way with catchy, intelligent songs and expert production. Includes "The Boy In The Bubble", "Graceland", "Duanonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes", "You Can Call Me Al", "Under African Skyes", "All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints" and more.

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

The grandest scale and most elaborately furnished Black Sabbath album to this point – but they still bring the heavy! The title track is one of the most influential metal songs ever, with the foreboding lyrics, trudging stomp of a rhythmic pace and those bridges that are almost pretty – and the most of the rest of the album is great, too – more carefully produced than the previous few without compromising the menace. Titles include "A National Acrobat", "Fluff", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Who Are You".

Singlehandedly stopping the flight to the suburbs during those key postwar years, Petula Clark forever changed the urban landscape when she belted out the great 60s pop hit "Downtown". This groovy set includes all the original "city pop" tracks from the original Downtown album, plus a few other singles of the same vintage, also with arrangements by the great Tony Hatch. Titles include "You Belong To Me", "Music", "In Love", "Crying Through A Sleepless Night", and "Now That You've Gone".

Pre shock rock psychedelia from Alice Cooper – more of a Detroit reared answer to early Pink Floyd than it is a clue to the early metal horror show to come – and as such, it's actually a heck of a lot better than you might be expecting! Since most people never even heard Pretties For You until long after Alice became a notorious rock star, we're thinking it's been judged unfairly in most circles. We hear rare psychedelia by the bucketful that's not as good as this album, but celebrated by rare psych diggers purely for their obscurity. Titles include "10 Minutes Before The Worm", "Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio", "Reflected", "Apple Bush", "Earwigs To Eternity" and more.

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more.

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more.

Titles include "Romeo & Juliet", "Skateaway", "Les Boys", "Hand In Hand", "Solid Rock", and "Tunnel Of Love".

Flaming Lips at their most gonzo – the 4 disc set Zaireeka – with each intended to be played simultaneously! Call your friends with portable turntables and make it happen!

Titles include "Elephant Talk", "Frame By Frame", "Thela Hun Ginjeet", and "The Sheltering Sky".

The last of the "revival" King Crimson from the early 80s – featuring the lineup that included Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, and Tony Levin. The style is fairly academic, but Belew's presence still gives the record a bit of heart – something that Fripp had trouble doing on his own, even after all these years. Titles include "Dig Me", "Industry", "Lark's Tongue In Aspic Part 3", "Three Of a Perfect Pair", and "Sleepless".

Some of our favorite Kraftwerk tracks, cold, bubbling Euro-electro numbers off the excellent Computer World LP, with icy synth melodies floating over popping electronic rhythm tracks.

Sublime 60s instrumental sounds from LA – with a groove that's similar to The Ventures, or some of the lesser-known surf instrumental groups. Includes the group's big hit reading of "Out Of Limits", plus "Bell Star", "Saturn", "Re-Entry", "Other Limits", "Twilight City", and "Limits Beyond".

Trippy baroque studio stuff from the Warner catalog of the late 60s, and a "phonograph opera" written by Tupper Saussy. The LP's got the ambitious intellectual feel of some of the other Warner Brothers releases from this time, like stuff by Van Dyke Parks or the later albums by Harper's Bizarre, and like that stuff, it's got a good sense of humor, and a cool feel that mixes a number of different styles. 8 numbers in all: "Cowboy", "The New Life Out There", "Little Sparrow", "Morning Girl", "Midsummer Night", "The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline", "Morning Girl, Later" and "Brilliant Colors".

The second album from O Terco – the guitar-heavy power trio who were one of the hardest things going in Brazil during the early 70s! The album's got a style that's somewhat progressive, but which also still holds onto plenty of late 60s psychedelic elements – qualities both sweet and dark, often compressed into the arrangements with an approach that's a bit like some of the more underground South American rock of the time. Side one of the album features 5 shorter tracks – "Deus", "Voce Al", "Estrada Vazia", "Lagoa Das Lontras", and "Rock Do Elvis" – and the second side features the 19 minute suite"Amanheger Total" – a soaring, building number with lots of changes throughout!

Van Dyke Parks' masterpiece – and one of the hippest records to come out of LA in the 60s! The album's a strangely anachronistic one – steeped in the kind of past-days scoring found on early records by Harpers Bizarre and Randy Newman (both of which Parks had a hand in!), wrapped around simply poetic songs about the scene and state of affairs in late 60s LA, all handled with a cinematic approach that's aging Hollywood at its best! Titles include Randy Newman's "Vine Street" – plus "By The People", "Laurel Canyon Blvd", "Donovan's Colours", and "The All Golden".

REM's major label debut – the culmination of years spent inching closer and closer to the mainstream – and one of the best examples of the past several decades of a band rooted in the indie rock underground reinventing themselves as superstars, without compromising their uniqueness or overall greatness! The previous couple of albums showed that REM was capable of producing songs with sing-a-long potential – and more powerful rock songs – along with their uniquely moody, often acoustic-based songcraft. This is where they took the biggest step yet in that direction. Michael Stipe really stepped out his shell like never before around this time, and his evolution from indie rock poet to extroverted showman is amazing. Titles include "Pop Song 89", "Get Up", "You Are Everything", "Stand", "World Leader Pretend", "The Wrong Child", "Orange Crush", "Turn You Inside Out", "Air Shirt" and "I Remember California". This great 25th Anniversary remastered deluxe edition includes expanded fold-out poster, 4 postcards, plus an incredible bonus CD – 21 songs recorded live in Greensboro, NC on November 10, 1989 – including "Stand", "The One I Love", "Turn You Inside Out", "Belong", "Exhuming McCarthy", "Orange Crush", "Get Up", "Fall On Me", "Finest Worksong", "Live And How To Live It", "It's The End Of The World As We Know It", "Pop Song '89" and more.

REM's major label debut – the culmination of years spent inching closer and closer to the mainstream – and one of the best examples of the past several decades of a band rooted in the indie rock underground reinventing themselves as superstars, without compromising their uniqueness or overall greatness! The previous couple of albums showed that REM was capable of producing songs with sing-a-long potential – and more powerful rock songs – along with their uniquely moody, often acoustic-based songcraft. This is where they took the biggest step yet in that direction. Michael Stipe really stepped out his shell like never before around this time, and his evolution from indie rock poet to extroverted showman is amazing. Titles include "Pop Song 89", "Get Up", "You Are Everything", "Stand", "World Leader Pretend", "The Wrong Child", "Orange Crush", "Turn You Inside Out", "Air Shirt" and "I Remember California".

Paul Simon's mid 80s landmark – a record that brought together Simon's unique voice and pop folk songwriting skill with South African, Chicano, zydeco other global musical styles – held together by some of the best songs Simon ever put together! With lesser material, this would feel like the well-intentioned "world music" album by an aging star, but Simon transcends that in a big way with catchy, intelligent songs and expert production. Includes "The Boy In The Bubble", "Graceland", "Duanonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes", "You Can Call Me Al", "Under African Skyes", "All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints" and more.

A great little record that's way more jazz than some of Joanie Sommers' other albums – thanks to arrangements from Marty Paich and Tommy Oliver – both of whom help things stay lively, even when sweet – and almost give the album a similar feel to some of the best Bethlehem or Mode label jazz vocal sides of the 50s! Joanie's got none of her pop trappings here – and her vocals are nicely deep and mature – really feeling out the songs with a deeply personal vibe, and way more grown-up than we might have expected. The album's a real standout from Sommers' too-short career – and titles include "What's New", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "Something I Dreamed Last Night", "Oh But I Do", "That Old Devil Moon", and "So In Love".

Near-peak material from T Rex – the still great Tanx – with the hard-charging heaviness, swaggery Bolan charisma and all around blazing rock & roll onslaught as crushing as ever! Includes "Tenement Lady", "Rapis", "Born To Boogie", "Life Is Strange", "Shock Rock", "Electric Slim & The Factory Hen", "Mister Mister", "The Street & Babe Shadow" and "Left Hand Luke".

Amazing stuff – and proof that there's way more to America than just their classic singles! The sound of the trio is the sweet sound of 70s pop at its best – wonderful harmonies, with a heartfelt quality that's never cloying at all – produced to perfection, yet never too slick, either! The balance is completely perfect on this early album by the trio – a set that gave the world such gems as "Sandman", "Children", "I Need You", "Rainy Day", "Never Found The Time", and "Three Roses".

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

One of the harder to find LPs by this fantastic pop harmony group from LA. You already know their hits from other LPs, but this one's got a bit more of a rock sound, and some excellent groovy production by Bones Howe. All of the tracks are originals, and they've got nice groovy themes, as you'll guess from titles like "The Bus Song", "Birthday Morning", "Barefoot Gentleman", "Toymaker", and "Rose Petals, Incense, & A Kitten"!

From The CMT Crossroads series. Randy Travis joins The Avett Brothers on "February Seven" and the Avetts return the favor on "Three Wooden Crosses".

One of the most fabled swan songs in rock history – on triple 180 gram vinyl!

Built To Spill at their late 90s live peak – on the Keep It Like A Secret tour! 2013 version includes the previously unreleased bonus tracks "Forget Remember When" and "Now and Then".

"Black Chandelier" recorded live at Kaufleuten, Zurich. "City Of Dreadful Night" is a previously unreleased B-Side.