A legendary European recording by the Jimi Hendrix Experience – done for French radio in 1967, with a lot better fidelity than some of their other overseas bootlegs of the time! The show was captured at the Olympia Theater – with Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass – burning with Jimi's lead on "Hey Joe", "Fire", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Rock Me Baby", "Purple Haze", "Wild Thing", "Stone Free", "Red House", and "Catfish Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A super-huge moment for Ozzy Osbourne – as he furthers his horror movie image, and also adds a bit more synth into the mix – maybe in a way that echoes some of the horror film soundtrack styles of the time! There's still plenty of heavy guitar on the record from Jake E Lee, and Ozzy continues to send his vocals over the top – maybe a bit more catchy with the keyboards, but still with that arch-sinister style he really let loose after leaving Sabbath! Titles include "Bark At The Moon", "Waiting for Darkness", "Slow Down", "So Tired", "Centre Of Eternity", "You're No Different", "Now You See It", and "Rock N Roll Rebel". LP, Vinyl record album

Both solo and tracks from the Velvet Underground. Includes the songs "Waiting For The Man", "White Light White Heat", "I Heard Her Call My Name", "Pale Blue Eyes", "Beginning To See The Light", "Sweet Jane", "Rock And Roll", "Heroin", "Femme Fatale", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Berlin", "Men Of Good Fortune", "The Kids", "Coney Island Baby", "Temporary Thing", "All Through The Night", "So Alone", "How Do You Speak To An Angel", "Keep Away", and "Street Hassle". LP, Vinyl record album

Blazing 60s & 70s string-shredding mastery from Japan's great guitar instrumentals guru Takeshi Terauchi – whose playing matches the greatest 50s & 60s rock guitar gurus in both dexterous ability and pulpy mood setting! Takeshi put his own unique spin on the chugging styles of the period – hard-charging twang, surf and beat in the 60s, and distorted spacey and funky rock later on in the 70s – all of it pretty amazing! Includes "Ganroku Hanami Odori", "Rising Stars", "Sado Okesa", "The Clamour Of The Sun", "South Pier" and "Summer Boogaloo" by Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys, plus "Hoshi Eno Tabeji (Journey To The Stars", "Sa No Sa", "Touryanse", "Nambuzaka Yuki No Wakare", "Tsugaru Eleki Bushi" and more by Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans. 14 tracks on the vinyl version. LP, Vinyl record album

The second and possibly best album ever by Gene Vincent – a hard charging firebrand signed to Capitol to, well, capitalize on the Elvis phenomenon – but Gene was a wilder character with a seedier groove! Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps was the last to feature lead guitar from Cliff Gallup – and it's some of the final sessions to feature that killer rockabilly sound – but it still falls left of center. Tracks include "Red Bluejeans & A Pony Tail", "Hold Me, Hug Me, Rock Me", "Cat Man", "Cruisin'", "Pink Thunderbird" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the lesser known efforts from the prime years of Gene Vincent – and one of the early records that demonstrate Gene's strengths as a formidable early rock balladeer – as well as a stomping firebrand! The latter characteristic is in fine form thanks to walloping work of his Blue Caps – one of the more slept on backing bands of the early rock era. Tracks include "Five Feet Of Lovin'", "The Wayward Wind", "Somebody Help Me", "Keep It A Secret", "Git It", "Teen Age Partner", "Summertime" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great French collection – with a total of 48 early gems from the great Gene Vincent – nice and raw, even when recording for a bigger label – captured here with backings from his excellent Blue Caps group! LP, Vinyl record album

We're always happy to take a trip to Crampsville – as the journey means that we not only get to live within the world of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, we also get to discover a huge amount of obscure singles from the glory days of the indie 45! The Cramps built their music on building blocks like these – weird, obscure tunes from the late 50s and early 60s – often leaping across genres in a single tune – mixing rock and R&B, slinky lounge with gritty sleaze, and always exploding with the kind of energy that never could have lasted past the few minutes of music that fit on a 7" record. The set's very much in the great mode of other Righteous Cramps-inspired titles – and features 52 tracks that include "Love Slave" by Bart Mattson, "She'll Never Let Him Go" by Gin Gillette, "Little Joe" by Jack Day, "I'm Blue" by The Ikettes, "Chicken Rock" by Scott Wood & His Band, "Big Foot" by Googie Rene, "The Tingle" by Jackie Weaver, "She's Mine" by Johnny Strickland, "I Got School" by Scott Miller, "Stop At The Hop" by Don Eee, "Rock & Roll Fever" by Gene Ray, "The Gorilla Walk" by Sascha Burland, "The Cat" by Rod Willis, "Watch Your Step" by Bobby Parker, and "I'm Buggin Out Little Baby" by Donny Lee Moore. CD

A fantastic collection of rockers from the Decca/Coral family of labels – companies that gave the world key recordings by Buddy Holly and the Johnny Burnette Trio – and who also had a huge commitment to other lesser-known acts as well! This overstuffed package is a great illustration of the wealth of material that Decca, Coral, and Brunswick recorded back in the late 50s and early 60s – a time when they seemed to have a very open door policy with both rockabilly and hillbilly artists – who they often recorded with the raw power that you might normally find with a smaller indie label. If you know the classic sound of "Train Kept A Rollin" by Johnny Burnette, you'll know what these guys are capable of – and even though that track's not here, there's plenty more great numbers – including "Big Town" by Ronnie Self, "Crazy Dream" by Terry Noland, "Broke Down Baby" by The Tyrones, "Rock Of Gibraltar" by Hank Penny, "Man Hunt" by Dodie Randle, "Where'd You Stay Last Night" by Joe Hudgins, "Gonna Have Myself A Ball" by Lance Roberts, "Honky Tonk Freeze" by Sandy Coker, "The Raven" by Jackie Brooks, "Midnight Monster Hop" by Jack & Jim, "Blue STreet" by Arnie Derksen, and "Tarzan" by Glenn Reeves. 33 tracks in all! CD

A very heady set from the Czech scene of the early 70s – already a hotbed for some very progressive sounds in jazz – which get further inspiration here in the majestic meeting of the prog group Blue Effect and the legendary Jazz Q ensemble! The vibe is different than jazz/rock work from the UK scene at the time – almost avant jazz at a number of points when things swing free, then back in more forward-moving territory when the group reassembles – in a heady lineup that features piano, organ, and trumpet from Jazz Q leader Martin Kratochvil, flutes and alto from Jiri Stivin, and fierce guitar and "noises" from Radim Hladik! Side one features "Coniunctio 1" – done in a side-long jamming version – and side two features some nice flute solo work by Jiri Stivin on "A Visit To Aunty Margaret For A Cup Of Tea", plus the cuts "Coniunctio II" and "Asi Pujdem Se Psem Ven". (Jazz, Rock) CD

Two really unusual albums from British drummer/singer John Dummer – an artist who was part of the British blues scene in the 60s – but who's something very different altogether! First up is John Dummer's Famous Music Band – a set that features key contributions from Nick Pickett on vocals, guitar, harmonica, vibes, and a host of instrumentation – all used in ways that really move past traditional blues-based modes – certainly there at the core, as in the work of the rest of the group – but already moving past any sort of slavish attempt to both be American, and even blues at all. We'd be tempted to call the approach roots rock, but it's also a bit weirder and more offbeat than that – part of that special spirit that's always made Dummer so unique. Titles include "Lady Luck", "Love Ain't Nothing But Sorrow", "Run Around", "Searching For You", "Nine By Nine", "Coming Home", "Green Leaves", and "Fine Looking Woman". Blue is a set that has the band of British drummer John Dummer moving over to Vertigo records – a shift that helps them sound even tighter and cooler than before! Singer Nick Pickett gets equal billing on the cover – and it's Pickett's contributions that really shape the sound – really offbeat vocals, plus guitar, organ, and even a bit of violin – used in that blues inspiration that got Dummer started, but with a weirder, more unusual style overall – at that moment when London was past being slavish to Chicago or Memphis! Titles include "Medicine Weasel", "The End Game", "Me & The Lady", "Time Will Tell", and "If I Can't Keep From Laughing". CD

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The incredible second album from Silver Apples – even more mad, more trippy, and more space rock than the first! The tunes are all awash in fuzziness – mad guitars, distorted vocals, and rough electronics coming into play with a bit of banjo and some stark, stiff percussion that makes the whole thing have a bit of a groove at times! The sound is otherworldly and incredible – hugely influential upon a generation of 90s popsters, but even better than any of the imitations they've spawned over the years! Titles include "You & I", "Water", "Ruby", "I Have Known Love", and "Confusion". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer cuts from the glory days of King Records – material from that second generation of the label, when their earlier blend of hillbilly and R&B made King a perfect platform for the new sounds of rockabilly and rock and roll! The package does a great job of digging in deep to the King catalog – and includes material from sub-labels that include Federal, Audio Lab, and DeLuxe – with lots of rare 45s that never get the sort of proper reissue that you'll find in this great Bear Family series! As with other volumes, the choice of cuts is wonderful, and the detailed notes really illuminate the music – a stunning set list of 31 titles that include "Nothing Like This" by Cecil McNabb, "All Star Boy" by Al Henderson, "Jug Band Jump" by Delbert Barker, "Whistle Of The Gravy Train" by Bobby Grove, "Pony Tail Partner" by Bing Day, "Oh Baby Dance With Me" by Gene Stewart, "Shake Shake" by The Blue Tones, "What Is Your Technique" by Ronnie Speeks & His Elrods, "Guitar Pickin Fool" by Teddy Humphries, "Gotta Make Her Mine" by Ronny Wade, "Peg Pants" by Bill Beach, "Grandaddy's Rockin" by Mac Curtis, and "Everybody's Lovin My Baby" by Charlie Feathers. CD

Groovy gals from 60s France – a power-packed array of Parisian pop nuggets that goes way beyond most other compilations of this nature! Some of the big names are here, but there's way more obscure numbers too – the cool kind of French femmes that made a bit splash during the "yeh yeh" generation, with a mix of the rough and the sweet that few other girl singers could ever hope to touch! There's a really special mod sort of energy here – vocals that push out strongly, yet never succumb to emotional cliches of American and British singers – and backings that are always tight and groovy, but in a jaunty, jerky way that's quite different than straight ahead rock. The mix of modes is completely sublime – just the sort of music that still really sends us after all these years – and titles include "J'Ai Des Problemes Decidement" by Violaine, "Hymne Au Soleil" by Pussy Cat, "Attends Ou Va-T'En" by France Gall, "La Fermeture Eclair" by Delphine, "Comme Tu Es Jeune" by Liz Brady, "Sous Le Soleil Exactement" by Anna Karina, and "Ecoutez" by Elsa. (French, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the pot reference on the cover put you off, or give you the wrong sort of idea about the record – as the whole thing's tight, sharp, and pretty darn groovy – a wicked batch of blue-eyed soul from the Bay Area scene of the mid 70s, served up at a level that's not too far from some of the best work on Fantasy Records at the time! These guys are clearly a rock band, but have drunk up a heady brew of funk and soul – augmented in both the rhythm elements and the nice use of horns, as well as some of the great lead vocals from singer Paulette Collins! The record's a lost one, but definitely continues that great late 60s Bay Area mode of mixing soul and rock together in a very joyous way – on titles that include the funky sample cut "Mess Up Your Mind", plus "You Got Something", "Clap Your Hands", "First Taste Of Love", "Gonna Make It", "Sativa", "Don't You Worry", "Trying To Hold It Down", and "Skyrocket". This CD includes 3 bonus tracks: "Catch A Falling Star", "Evil That Brings You Down" and "It's A Feeling". CD

Badfinger's early 70s win streak continues on Straight Up – a straight up classic set of tuneful 70s rock with big emotions and catchy songs – one that keeps just enough grit underneath those killer melodies! Titles include "Take It All", "Bably Blue", "Name Of The Game", "Perfection", "It's Over", "Sometimes" and more. This might be the group's most consistent batch of songs to date, and it's essential early 70s rock for sure. LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from The Byrds – who deliver an iconic mix of breezy country rock and folk harmonies, over songs that range from laidback to soaring! The Byrds seemed to always be in a state of flux, line-up wise, and that actually seems to bring out a pretty great mix of styles on their best albums. We'd put this one in that category, with titles that includes "Ballad Of Easy Rider", the country funk-flavored "Fido", the effectively tradtional "Jack Tarr The Sailor", "Oil In My Lamp", "Tulsa County", "Jesus Is Just Alright", "It's All Over Now, "Baby Blue", "There Must Be Someone (I Can Turn To)", "Gunga Din", "Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos)" and "Armstrong, Aldrin And Collins". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". CD

Very weird bit of stoner rock with a slight soul edge, and kind of a rock version of the Isaac Hayes baroque approach to pop covers. Danny Cox performs a number of Dylan and Beatles tunes – like "Dear Prudence", "My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Baby Blue", "Hey Jude", "Just Like A Woman", and "Day In The Life" – all with small group backing on guitars and steel guitar, and kind of a "back to the country" rock approach. Not really a soul record, or really our bag, but an obscure oddity, and produced and arranged by Gary Usher. (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of all this famous harmony trio/quartet were able to achieve during their first few years – a masterful reworking of vocal group modes from earlier rock and soul styles, taken forward towards the 70s with a spirit that's still as powerful today as it was back at the time! These tracks saw so much circulation over the years, it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were – especially when coming from artists who had roots in more familiar rock modes, but who somehow really seemed to rise together in the company of each other. Titles include "Deja Vu", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Ohio", "Teach Your Children", "Our House", "Helplessly Hoping", "Wooden Ships", "Woodstock", "Helpless", "Guinnevere", and "Find The Cost Of Freedom". (Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

Godlike work from the legendary Nick Drake – and exactly the kind of record that's made him a continuing legend over the years! The style is completely its own – not really folk or rock, but not really jazz either – yet served up with plenty of jazzy phrasing that's helped keep Drake's music fresher than most as the decades move on – and which makes each song here a really rich discovery – even if, like us, you've heard the album hundreds of times in the past! The production is wonderful – with slight underscorings of strings that help unlock dark corners of the songs – and tracks include the classic "River Man" – easily one of Nick's best songs ever – plus "Fruit Tree", "Day Is Done", "Three Hours", "Saturday Sun", and "Time Has Told Me". A record we'd never part with – ever! LP, Vinyl record album

The album that brought the excellent, but heretofore underappreciated duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band – and pretty much changed the fabric of 70s rock! Older fans of the Peter Green and Bob Welch Brit blues eras of Fleetwood Mac may have been in for a shock initially, but this really is one of the best unpretentious pop rock albums of the 70s – they didn't get as hugely popular as they did by luck – the songs, energy and chemistry are really perfect. We may even love this one more than Rumours, especially the deeper cuts that haven't been overplayed over the years. Includes "Monday Morning", "Blue Letter, "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "I'm So Afraid" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A rock/soul outing from Gale Force – a group comprised of brothers Len and Ken Gale, hence the name! The set's an odd one – as it was produced by Wayne Henderson during the height of his glory days at Fantasy, and features keyboards by Bobby Lyle – so you'd guess that it would have some sort of a jazz funk component. But overall, it's a pretty strict rock outing – although not without some soulful charms – as the brothers seem to pick up the Fantasy Records groove where Creedence left off – going for compressed and rhythmic tunes that almost have a Steve Miller style at times. Titles include "Reach On Out", "I Was Made To Love Her", "Amourena", "Turn On The Blue Lights", and "Let My Love In". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of Canadian rock – and a set that broke big on this side of the border too! Wheatfield Soul is a sublime showcase for the young talents of Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, and other members of the group – working here in a mix of jazz/rock modes and blue-eyed soul that would go onto set the scene for countless other groups in years to come – hard to describe accurately, but beautifully summed up in the album's "These Eyes" hit! Cummings vocals and keyboards come across wonderfully – and the rhythms often have clever changes that hint at his jazzy future to come, but on shorter tunes here that have a rich amount of complexity packed in a very tight space. Titles include "These Eyes", "Lightfoot", "I Found Her In A Star", "Pink Wine Sparkles In The Glass", "Maple Fudge", "We're Coming To Dinner", "When You Touch Me", and the amazing 10 minute tune "Friends Of Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

The great live compilation of classic Hendrix – pulled from incendiary performances at Isle Of Wight in 1970 and other benchmark west coast gigs from '68 to '70! It's as fine of a snapshot of Jimi as you could really hope for, as it features numbers that showcase his fiery blues psych side that pretty much single-handedly change rock guitar forever after, as well as more loosely furnished bluesy jams that demonstrate his love for the blues legends before him. So, it's Jimi paving the way and showing love for his predecessors – and historical importance aside, it's simply great stuff! Some gigs have Noel Redding on bass and others have Billy Cox. Includes "The Queen", "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Little Wing", "Fire", "Red House", "Johnny B Goode", "Lover Man", "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". LP, Vinyl record album

A real gem from Jay & The Americans – a record that was part of an initial step forward with their own creative direction, but which also nods back at the earlier music that had inspired their work! The set's filled with older gems from the early years of rock and soul – delivered by the group with a fuller set of arrangements, but also this strange current of blue – maybe a melancholy for the past, or in a way that almost uses the sounds of older times as a mask to hide the sadder currents of the present. Titles include "This Magic Moment", "So Much In Love", "Mean Woman Blues", "When You Dance", "Hushabye", and "Goodnight My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An Australian duo from the end of the 70s, and one who work here in a smooth blend of AOR and blue-eyed soul modes! The set's an obscure one, but it's got a sound to rival the best of the Cali scene of the time – and the pair also have a way of harmonizing and trading vocals that might also match Hall & Oates at their best – although with a stripped-down style that's more personal, and maybe even more compelling, given the indie vibe of the album! Instrumentation is lean, never too commercial, and there's some great keyboard lines too – all of which makes the whole thing a lost yacht rock treasure, with cuts that include "Cristobel", "Love Me Little Love Me Long", "Last Taste", "It's Alright", "Something New", and "Too Much Too Little Too Late". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual set from Kracker – a record that's possibly more rock/pop at the core, but one that definitely shares some of the soulful touches of other albums on the Dash label too! The group dress like a funk band on the album's flipside photo – and they've got vocal interplay that's not unlike some of the blue eyed soul groups on the east coast – set to rhythms here that are sometimes disco, sometimes a bit more flamboyant pop – and titles include "Woman", "Lucky Are Those", "Lady Of My Life", "Alarm Clock Blues", "Back In My Arms Again", and "Gentleman Of Men". (Soul, Rock) CD

The earliest incarnation of the Plastic Ono band, and more or less a one off, with an all-star line up that included Eric Clapton and Klaus Voorman alongside Lennon and Ono. One side of the rootsy rock that was the old school Beatles stock in trade, and one side of Yoko Ono doing her thing on the mic. Titles include "Blue Suede Shoes", "Money", "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", "Yer Blues", "Cold Turkey", "Give Peace A Chance", "Don't Worry Kyoko" and "John, John". LP, Vinyl record album

Dave Mason's first solo album – and a pretty a great one! Alone Together wasn't a huge hit back in the day, but man is a ever a pleasing set. It's rich with blues & soul steeped lead vocals and sweet backing harmonies and bed of acoustic guitars at the core of most of the tunes – sometimes with a driving intensity, others with a lightly gliding pace. The production is a nice mix of blue-eyed blues and southern skewing wah wah rock – with great musicians in the mix, from Leon Russell to Eric Clapton. Tracks include "Only You Know And I Know", "Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving", "Waitin' On You", "Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave", "World In Changes", "Sand And Deep As You", "Just A Song" and "Look At You, Look At Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Completely wonderful solo work from Monkee Mike Nesmith – music that almost bears no relationship to his famous TV sounds – save for the fact that Mike's still got all of his charms firmly intact! Yet the approach here is unabashedly country rock – that style that Nesmith was bringing to some of his songs as the 60s moved on, from very credible roots – and served up here by a very cool group that features plenty of steel guitar from OJ Red Rhodes! The tunes are smart, but understated – catchy, but never cloying – almost in the territory of the Byrds or Flying Burrito Brothers, but maybe without the darker corners. Titles include "The Crippled Lion", "Mama Nantucket", "The Keys To The Car", "Hollywood", "Calico Girlfriend", and "Nine Times Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Sharp hooks, huge melodies, and pleasing 70s guitar pop greatness from Pilot! From The Album Of The Same Name includes their signature tune, "Magic" – and it's one of those songs everyone knows, whether or not they know who made it – but Pilot soars all around on these tunes. The guitars have punch, but the falsetto vocals are the main cabin of this vessel – and it's grand 70s soft rock of the first order! Other tracks include "Just A Smile", "Lucky For Some", "Girl Next Door", "Sooner Or Later", "Never Give Up", "Sky Blue", and "Over The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

A big stack of singles from one of the coolest groups on the American scene of the 70s – one who are remembered for a few key singles, but delivered a heck of a lot more greatness over the space of the decade! Redbone are maybe best known for their makeup – as the group featured Native and Mexican American members – but they also stood equally well next to their contemporaries on the airwaves, with a great ear for a catchy groove and a way of mixing soulful currents with rock expressions that was perfect for the AM radio generation! And it's on their singles that the group maybe excelled the most – able to come up with tunes that were short and catchy, but also had all these cool twists and turns too – as you'll hear on the big mix of styles on this 36 track collection that brings together all the a-sides and b-sides of their classic singles! Tracks include their huge hit "Come & Get Your Love" – plus "Message From A Drum", "One Monkey", "Physical Attraction", "Turquoise Eyes", "Crazy Cajun Cakewalk Band", "New Blue Sermonette", "Alcatraz", "We Were All Wounded At Wounded Knee", "Wovoka", "Clouds In My Sunshine", "Checkin It Out", "I've Got To Find The Right Woman", "Niji Trance", "The Witch Queen Of New Orleans", and "Light As A Feather". CD

A lost classic that needs to be in every hip rock collection! Terry Reid is one of those talents who never got his due when his albums first came out – like Tim Buckley, Nick Drake, Billy Nichols, Colin Blunstone, Curt Boettcher, and countless others that are all getting the "I'm sorry, forgive me, I'll love you forever" treatment from the rock cognoscenti. And even though Terry's style is a bit harder and more rocking than all of the above, his place in the music is similar – in that he had a really unique way of putting things together, kind of a blend of tight pop, blue-eyed soul, and some trippy influences – all wrapped up in some very tight production that makes the album sparkle like a lost pop gem. Titles include strong originals like "Erica", "Tinker Taylor", "Without Expression", "Sweater", and "When I Get Home" – plus covers of "Season Of The Witch" and "Bang Bang". LP, Vinyl record album

The masterpiece by one of the greatest, most sincere rock bands of all time! Let It Be veers all over the place, or at least as much as jangly rock music can, in the best way possible. Includes the pseudo twangy opener "I Will Dare", with the distinctly midwestern hardcore of the group's earlier years showing up on "We're Coming Out" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", and Westerberg's great heart-on-sleeve, ragged balladry appearing for the closers. Like the Meat Puppets and X, the 'Mats really found themselves after they shed the rigid rules of punk rock, and developed into something every bit as honest and heartfelt. They followed the rock songbook just enough to keep their work warm and familiar, but with way too huge and hard-pounding heart to ever seem even the least bit derivative. Hell, they even make Kiss's "Black Diamond" sound sincere! Other tracks include "Favorite Thing", "Androgynous", "Unsatisfied", "Seen Your Video", "Gary's Got A Boner", "Sixteen Blue" and "Answering Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

Guitarist Eddie Roberts is a legend in contemporary funk – famous first for his work in the New Mastersounds, then for some great records on his own – now working here as a key part of The Lucky Strokes – a group who open up a whole new chapter in Eddie's career! The group's a lean quartet, and features vocals from Shelby Kemp – a raspy-voiced singer who's clearly versed in the more soulful sides of the blue-eyed rock spectrum – working here in modes that evoke The Face and some hipper currents of southern rock – but all delivered with the lean funky style you'd expect from Roberts! The rest of the lineup just features bass and drums – which makes for a mighty spare, guitar-forward album – with titles that include "Whiskey Makes Me Stronger", "Holy Fire", "Grits Ain't Groceries", "Rambler", "Gonna Get In My Way", "Home Sweet Home", and "Gonna Get In My Way". (Deep Funk, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Frank Zappa's amazing tribute to the sounds of LA that inspired him in his youth – not just the early rock and roll of the late 50s, but the way the music was picked up and given a home by the scene in East LA! There's a surprising amount of nascent soul elements in the music here – especially the early harmony groups, who Frank's clearly paying tribute to with The Jets – sometimes dealing with subject matter that goes way beyond what most of those groups would have touched – but other times, right in line with the most heartfelt sounds of the 60s! Titles include "Deseri", "How Could I Be Such A Fool", "Cheap Thrills", "No No No", "Anyway The Wind Blows", "Stuff Up The Cracks", and "Jelly Roll Gum Drop". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of fuzz and plenty of spirit – a wonderful debut from this African group of the 70s – a combo who work here with equal parts of influence from Jimi Hendrix and some of the other Zamrock groups of the time! Lyrics are in English, and have this blue-toned quality that's really compelling – some darkness and sadness amidst the bolder bravado of the guitar lines – a nice juxtaposition that really makes the album stand out! Drums and bass are often pretty subtle – partly because of the way some tracks were mixed – and titles include "Doggy Rock", "Try A Little Harder", "See The Storm", "Down In My Shoes", "Fast", and "Sunshine In My Hair". Comes with a bonus insert of notes, and a 7" single too! (Global Grooves, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy psych from Detroit, in the years before Bob Seger became a "lighters in the air" peddler of redneck theme songs. Cut from the same cloth as the early Mitch Ryder, Amboy Dukes and Grand Funk that were the hallmark of the Motor City rock sound of the day, most of the tracks on this outing are concise rockers, but the band delves into a bit of nice jamminess on side 2. Includes 'Tales Of Lucy Blue", "Ivory", "Gone Down Home", "Train Man", "White Wall", "Black Eyed Girl", "2 + 2 = ?" and "Doctor Fine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the sweetest singer-songwriter records of the mid 70s country rock era – beloved by fans, but largely unknown to the masses after all these years! Black Rose is JD Souther's second record, and it's a thing a beauty – produced by Peter Asher and featuring a who's who Souther's famous friends and lot of the great California session musicians of the time, but it's really about the intimate songcraft and the warmth of Souther's voice. Really beautiful stuff and it sounds as great as ever! Includes "Banging My Head Against The Moon", "If You Have Crying Eyes", "Your Turn Now", "Faithless Love", "Baby Come Home", "Silver Blue", "Midnight Prowl", "Doors Swing Open", "Black Rose" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing slow about this mid 70s album from Steppenwolf – a set that has the group really coming back into the fray, after John Kay had left for a bit and recorded as a solo act! All the raw power of the group is still very much at play here – plenty of searing guitars, at that level that made Steppenwolf such a key precursor to the hard rock sound of the 70s – maybe answered to by the group themselves here, who felt a need to reform and show the younger acts how things were done! But there's also some fuller production at times too – touches of soul inspiration that hit a few of the songs, but without ever knocking the guitars out too much – on titles that include "Get Into The Wind", "Children Of The Night", "Smokey Factory Blues", "Morning Blue", "A Fool's Fantasy", and "Gang War Blues". CD

There's nothing slow about this mid 70s album from Steppenwolf – a set that has the group really coming back into the fray, after John Kay had left for a bit and recorded as a solo act! All the raw power of the group is still very much at play here – plenty of searing guitars, at that level that made Steppenwolf such a key precursor to the hard rock sound of the 70s – maybe answered to by the group themselves here, who felt a need to reform and show the younger acts how things were done! But there's also some fuller production at times too – touches of soul inspiration that hit a few of the songs, but without ever knocking the guitars out too much – on titles that include "Get Into The Wind", "Children Of The Night", "Smokey Factory Blues", "Morning Blue", "A Fool's Fantasy", and "Gang War Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from This Mortal Coil – only the second album by the 4AD Records collective, but one that doubles the length of the first – and explores some even deeper territory in the process! The group take songs that had been forgotten from previous generations – beautiful nuggets of 60s and 70s rock, folk, and underground music – and weave them together in a moody soundscape that's full of echoey piano, rich cello, edgey oboe, and all these other elements that were never used in the original songs. Add to that some original material, and the spacious 4AD production style, and you've got an instant classic – full of gems that include "Tarantula", "The Jeweler", "My Father", "Morning Glory", "Inch Blue", "Drugs", "Red Rain", "I Want To Live", "Come Here My Love", and "Fire Brothers". LP, Vinyl record album

Ulmer on Blue Note – who'd a thunk it? And oddly, although the album's on one of the most jazz-based labels at the time, it's also one of Ulmer's most rock-oriented – with strong lead vocals on nearly every track, and an overall style that's as bluesy as it is experimentally jazzy. Ulmer's clearly emerged as a star in his own right (or own mind) by the time of the album – and there's less of the shared group dynamic of the harmelodic years, and more of a style that's set up to support his lead presence. Players include Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and Nicky Skopelitis – and titles include "I Belong In The USA", "Lady Blue", "After Dark", "Black Sheep", and "Show Me Your Love America". (Jazz, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Gino Vannelli still going strong well into the 80s – hitting this sweet blend of soul, rock, and crossover vibes – all in a style he virtually invented for himself in the 70s! The long perm look may have kept Gino out of crates in later years, but there's a top-quality feel to the record that's quite different than most of his contemporaries – a subtle sense of drama that's often undercut with a sense of soul, in ways that made Gino an undeniable influence on blue-eyed singers in years to come – as well as on a whole generation of R&B ballad singers too. Titles include "Santa Rosa", "Put The Weight On My Shoulders", "Stay With Me", "Sally", "Seek & You Shall Find", and "Living Inside Myself". (Soul, Rock) CD

A very groovy record – kind of a mix of rock and blue eyed soul, recorded by the twin-guitar team of Pat & Lolly Vegas – a big act on the Sunset Strip scene of the 60s who later morphed into Native American rock group Redbone! On this early set, Pat and Lolly have a pretty hard-hitting sound – one that soaks up a lot of influences from southern and east coast soul, and fuses it into a vocal/guitar groove that's got plenty of rough edges! Snuff Garrett & Leon Russell produced this little gem, giving it a sound that's a bit hipper than you might expect – and titles include "Any Old Time", "Keep Me Up Tight", "Here I Go", "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Under You", "Let's Get It On", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Walk On". LP, Vinyl record album

A key record in showcasing Frank Zappa's blend of complicated compositions and all-out jamming – that mix of hard rock and serious songwriting that would direct his energy for most of the 70s – yet still pretty darn raw at this point! The album's a live one – with some of the same great spontaneous energy of the Fillmore set, but even less silliness – even amidst the album's longer songs and weirdass lyrics! The set begins with the extended "Billy The Mountain" – definitely a journey in music – then rolls into "Call Any Vegetable", "Eddie Are You Kidding", "Magdalena", and "Dog Breath". LP, Vinyl record album

A fabulous furry freakout from Frank Zappa – the start of a legendary run in the late 60s – and a record that is still as mindblowing now as it was all those many years back! There's a deadpan quality to the vocals that's unlike anything other groups were trying for at the time – a snotty aspect that's often forgotten amidst all the celebrations of Zappa's hippiedom, but which really makes the record stand out from the pack – giving it a kind of darkness that's a wonderful change from some of the too-earnest psych or folk rock elements of the period. Music is great too – and a lot more simple than in later years – a really tight blend of garage and psych that furthers the almost punky quality of the record. Titles include "The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet", "Motherly Love", "I Ain't Got No Heart", "Hungry Freaks Daddy", "Wowie Zowie", "You Didn't Try To Call Me", "Any Way The Wind Blows", and "I'm Not Satisfied". LP, Vinyl record album

A silly cover and title, but one of the most powerful records so far from Frank Zappa – a set that focuses the mad energy of The Mothers into a groove that really packs a lot of punch! The lineup here is filled with key talents – including Don Preston on organ and electronics, Sugarcane Harris on violin, Lowell George on rhythm guitar, Ian Underwood on alto, and Bunk Gardner on tenor – all players who are more than willing to go to the farther edges of Zappa's consciousness – yet also have the musical chops to make the whole thing come together beautifully! There's a bit more hard rock than some of Zappa's jazz leanings in this set – and titles include "March & Dwarf Nebula", "Didja Get Any Onya", "Directly From My Heart To You", "Toads Of The Short Forest", and "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue". LP, Vinyl record album

Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby Gillespie's own music – and the set brings together bits of country, roots rock, and soul – really special tracks that have a perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, well-penned lyrics, and the kind of arrangements and production that really send the whole thing over the top! The best thing about the collection is that it brings together songs we never would have thought to combine like this – a masterful set list that includes "I Don't Want To Talk About It" by Crazy Horse, "Wait & See" by Lee Hazlewood, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" by Thin Lizzy, "The Coldest Days Of My Life" by The Chi-Lites, "Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat, "Magnolia" by JJ Cale, "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" by Willie Nelson, "Love Sick" by Bob Dylan, I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "Strong As Death" by Al Green, "Kind Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Dark End Of The Street" by Ry Cooder, "I Feel Like Goin Home" by Charlie Rich, "When My Mind's Gone" by Mott The Hoople, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Nick Cave. LP, Vinyl record album

A really ear-opening set – one that introduces us to a world we'd never have heard otherwise – filled with music that's maybe even groovier and more evocative than we could imagine! There's loads of very trippy styles going on here – almost as if the whole Mongolian scene had gone psychedelic during the 60s – later than the rest of the world, and with a different flavor that mixes regional elements with cool guitar lines, fuzzy production, and all sorts of rock psych elements from the 60s that are pulled back out, and reformed in weird ways for these tunes! In fact, the sound's so unique, we're not sure it's even real – but we can hardly let that get in the way of us enjoying gems that include "Western Mongolian Folkmix", "You Got So Big My Son", "The Blue Comb", "Listen Up Galaxy", "Music Magic", "Starsong", "Young Couple", "Circle Dance", and "Beauty". (Global Grooves, Rock) CD

Classics from the vaults of Sun Records – not just bit rock hits, but some more obscure blues and country as well! Titles include "Bear Cat" by Rufus Thomas, "Baker Shop Boogie" by Willie Nix, "Red Velvet" by The Kirby Sisters, "Oh Red" by Howlin Wolf, "Ooby Dooby" by Roy Orbison, "Drinkin Wine Spodee O Dee" by Malcolm Yelvington, "Call Me Anything But Call Me" by Big Memphis Ma Rainey, and "Feelin Good" by Little Junior's Blue Flames. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark in southern rock! Titles include "Les Brers In A Minor", "Melissa", "Mountain Jam", "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", "Little Martha", and "Blue Sky". Includes the final Fillmore East Concert from 1971 on the second CD! CD

A seminal set from Cheap Trick – a group who had already cut some excellent studio albums before this one, but who somehow finally reached huge fame in the mainstream with this classic concert release! The album is one of the greatest, most iconic live rock records of its era – in which the to that point under-appreciated Cheap Trick (in the US at least – as you can hear the wild screams, they had the love elsewhere) midwestern powerpop progenitors FINALLY broke through and cemented their legend! LP, Vinyl record album

Roots rock but with a strongly soulful undercurrent – thanks to key late 60s Stax production from Donald Duck Dunn and Don Nix, both of whom make the record sound a lot hipper than many other similar sets from the time! The record showcases the singing and songwriting talents of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett – a pair who were hyped heavily by the rock scene of their era, but who also step out here with equally soulful appeal – almost a blue-eyed soul take on the Stax sound of the late 60s! Of course, it helps that the pair get plenty of help on the record from folks like Booker T & The MGs, The Memphis Horns, Isaac Hayes, and William Bell – but their own efforts are pretty great too, as heard on tracks that include "My Baby Specializes", "Things Get Better", "We Can Love", "Just Plain Beautiful", "Everybody Loves A Winner", and "Pour Your Love On Me". CD features 6 bonus tracks – including "A Long Road Ahead", "I've Just Been Feeling Bad", "Dirty Old Man", and "Get Ourselves Together". CD

The album that brought the excellent, but heretofore underappreciated duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band – and pretty much changed the fabric of 70s rock! Older fans of the Peter Green and Bob Welch Brit blues eras of Fleetwood Mac may have been in for a shock initially, but this really is one of the best unpretentious pop rock albums of the 70s – they didn't get as hugely popular as they did by luck – the songs, energy and chemistry are really perfect. We may even love this one more than Rumours, especially the deeper cuts that haven't been overplayed over the years. Includes "Monday Morning", "Blue Letter, "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "I'm So Afraid" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A heady mix of fuzzy funk and psychedelic production – served up here as a duet between Little Barrie and Malcolm Catto! Catto's on drums, with the same rock-solid style that we've loved right since his Mo Wax days – and Barrie handles guitar and vocals – with that more pronounced lyrical mode that he's had in recent years, yet still all filtered down in the mix – thanks to some nicely trippy production from Catto in his Quatermass Soundlab! The whole thing's a great blend of psych and funk – on titles that include "You're Only You", "Repeater #2", "Rest In Blue", "TRABS", "Steel Drum", "After After", and "Repeater #1". (Deep Funk, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Both albums complete on one CD! First up GP – a mindblowing solo debut from Gram Parsons – music that's nicely different than his work with both the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, and which shows Gram really stepping out into the role of a 70s superstar – to which he would have ascended, were he not taken from us all too soon! There's a fragility to the record that's wonderful, even when things are tight – a quality echoed by vocals from Emmylou Harris, and which comes through especially strongly on Parsons' on tunes. Backing features all sorts of country studio greats – including James Burton on guitar and dobro, and Buddy Emmons on steel guitar – and titles include the completely sublime "She" – a cut that should have been a 70s classic – plus "Still Feeling Blue", "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning", "Streets Of Baltimore", "That's All It Took", and "Cry One More Time". Next is Grievous Angel, one of the most beloved country rock albums of all time! This album is likely to have cemented Gram's legacy even if he didn't pass away before it's release – it's really that good – mixing mournful honk tonk laments, bleary-eyed barroom rockers and soul searching lyricism in a way that was pretty damn distinctive in the 70s. It's bookended by the (arguably) 2 greatest songs he ever wrote, "Return Of The Grievous Angel" and "In My Hour Of Darkness", plus "Love Hurts", "Brass Buttons", "$1000 Wedding", a rockin' cover of Tom T Hall's "I Can't Dance" and "Hickory Wind". And for all the praise we just heaped on Gram Parsons in the preceding sentences, there's no discounting the importance of co-singer and ""In My Hour Of Darkness" co-writer Emmylou Harris, who's like the beautifully voiced angel on Gram's shoulder. CD

An overlooked groover by this 60s rock act – recorded in Memphis by Chips Moman, with a hard sock-soul approach that's almost a blue eyed soul take on the sound of Stax! There were probably more than a few famous Memphis session players on the set, and you can certainly imagine who might have been there from the strength of the backings – deeply soulful, and even a bit funky at times. Titles include "One Night Stand", "Soul Man", "Boogaloo Down Broadway", "Peace Of Mind", "Goin To Memphis", and "I'm A Loser Too". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare late 60s psychedelia from blue collar Rockford, Il – a totally great lost album of pop psych tunefulness from Pisces – who had an incredible knack for experimental sounds that weave in and out of the hallucinatory pop structure! The group centered around core players Jim Krein and Paul DiVenti, and a number of the tunes have fragile, beautiful lead vocals by Linda Bruner, bringing in a bit of Velvets style stark, haunting loveliness – and most of the tracks languished unreleased all this time! This is essentially the first real release of almost all of the tunes, and the best shot at finding an adventurous audience any of it has ever had! We think this stuff would have been hugely influential had it found an audience in its time, hell, it sounds to us like it actually did influence countless groups, even though that's hardly even possible! There's a tunefulness at the center that bears the fruits of the experimental pop sounds that came from benchmark scenes of the era, from Haight Ashbury to Abbey Road – but the found sound ephemera, tape manipulations, and tripped out atmospherics really bring in some far out vibes! An essential discovery from Numero that's as exciting, insistently groovy and eclectic as any of the rock oriented stuff they've dug up to date! Titles include "Dear One", "Children Kiss Your Mother Goodnight", "Motley Mary Ann", "Say Goodbye To John", "The Music Box", "Like A Hole In The Wall Where The Rat Lives", "Elephant Eyes", "Circle Of Time" and more – plus the "extended play" bonus tracks "A Flower For All Seasons" and "In The Summer A Grape Grows". CD

Guitarist Eddie Roberts is a legend in contemporary funk – famous first for his work in the New Mastersounds, then for some great records on his own – now working here as a key part of The Lucky Strokes – a group who open up a whole new chapter in Eddie's career! The group's a lean quartet, and features vocals from Shelby Kemp – a raspy-voiced singer who's clearly versed in the more soulful sides of the blue-eyed rock spectrum – working here in modes that evoke The Face and some hipper currents of southern rock – but all delivered with the lean funky style you'd expect from Roberts! The rest of the lineup just features bass and drums – which makes for a mighty spare, guitar-forward album – with titles that include "Whiskey Makes Me Stronger", "Holy Fire", "Grits Ain't Groceries", "Rambler", "Gonna Get In My Way", "Home Sweet Home", and "Gonna Get In My Way". (Deep Funk, Rock) CD

The excellent solo debut from lumbering rock guitar virtuoso Joe Walsh – buzzing, melodic and extremely tuneful early 70s rock that's refreshingly free of the processed cheese that characterized much of his later material, both solo and as an Eagle – and possibly the best work he's ever done! Barnstorm has some of the whispery rural rock sounds, fat and nearly funk keyboard grooves, and crunching chords that make Joe (in)famous – but what really stretches this record out and pushes it to a lofty pillar are the post psychedelic touches. Bits of flute, echoey guitar and keys, and trippy lyricism elevate the tracks on the first half of the album into terrain we forgot Joe ever treaded. It really makes the heavier, funky rock & roll bits that much more rewarding. It's almost like a blue collar Astral Weeks in spots! Tracks include "Here We Go", "Midnight Mover", "One And One", "Giant Bohemoth", "Mother Says", "Home", "I'll Tell The World", "Turn To Stone" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A timeless jangly country rock album from a band that didn't sound like it was setting out to reinvent the wheel, even if they ultimately almost did! At the time, pressure was pretty high to live up the preceding legacy of the Uncle Tupelo and contemporaneous debut of Son Volt, but in hindsight, this is just a straight up, no bs, solid, tuneful batch of songs that don't sound at first like they're among best of their kind until you realize you're humming and singing them to yourself days, years and decades later! Includes "I Must Be High", "I Thought I Held You", "Dash 7", "Blue Eyed Soul", "Shouldn't Be Ashamed", "It's Just That Simple", "Casino Queen" and more. CD

A modern country rock masterpiece. Wilco's second album, an unlikely (for its time) major label double album does an incredible job of showing stylistic breadth and sprawl behind lyrical and emotional consistency, arrangements-wise recalling the best of the band's more adventurously rootsy forbears enough to not unfairly call it "alt-country" at the time, but it's ultimately timeless. Here we are decades later and it doesn't sound like it's aged a day. Includes "Misunderstood", "Far, Far Away", "Red-Eyed And Blue", "Forget the Flowers", "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)", "Kingpin", "Whole Would You Wanna Live", "Dreamer In My Dreams" and more. CD

Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby Gillespie's own music – and the set brings together bits of country, roots rock, and soul – really special tracks that have a perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, well-penned lyrics, and the kind of arrangements and production that really send the whole thing over the top! The best thing about the collection is that it brings together songs we never would have thought to combine like this – a masterful set list that includes "I Don't Want To Talk About It" by Crazy Horse, "Wait & See" by Lee Hazlewood, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" by Thin Lizzy, "The Coldest Days Of My Life" by The Chi-Lites, "Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat, "Magnolia" by JJ Cale, "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" by Willie Nelson, "Love Sick" by Bob Dylan, I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "Strong As Death" by Al Green, "Kind Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Dark End Of The Street" by Ry Cooder, "I Feel Like Goin Home" by Charlie Rich, "When My Mind's Gone" by Mott The Hoople, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Nick Cave. CD

One of the coolest collections we've heard from Keb Darge in years – not the funk and soul he first gave us when he started putting compilations together, nor the rockabilly and R&B from more recent years – and instead a fantastic array of rare late 60s garage rock and freaky fuzz singles! The set's tone in collaboration with Cut Chemist – another DJ we'd never expect to know this music so well – and together, the pair turn their talent for rare record digging to an arena that never seems to get old – the under-underground of the pre-hippy years, with a stunning selection of tracks by artists who worked in the deep shadows beneath bigger acts like Count Five, The Seeds, or Standells. Half the record is collected by Cut Chemist, the other by Keb – and the package features a whopping 30 tracks in all, most of which we'd never heard before! Titles include "Cry" by The Malibus, "Cuttin Grass" by Caretakers Of Deception, "Project Blue" by The Banshees, "Slander" by Ty Wagner, "Suzy Creamcheese" by Teddy & His Patches, "Nowadays People" by Captain Crunch & The Crew, "Go On Leave" by Red Beard & The Pirates, "In & Out" by Larry & The Blue Notes, "Why Am I Alone"by The Choab, "Can It Be" by The Savoys, "Modman" by The Spacemen, "Baby Go" by The Avantes, "Just Let Me Be" by The Outsiders, and "Come On Baby & Stick Around" by Al's Untouchables. CD

Looking for the magic? There's plenty of it here – a really magical blend of 70s American groups who were working in territory that was neither classic rock, nor punk, nor prog, metal, or other big styles at the time – hitting a unique blend of modes that was partly a revival of simpler styles of earlier years in rock music, but also embracing some of the more advanced studio and recording techniques of the time – catchy, yet never overtly commercial – but instantly appealing too! Phew – if it sounds like we're spinning a lot of plates at once, that's what it takes to come up with the special sound of these tracks – served up in a wonderfully-done collection that really opens up past some of the more obvious choices, and flies the power pop banner in some surprising territory that really works well. There's a massive 76 titles on the set, all presented with very detailed notes – with work from Eric Carmen, The Runaways, Cheap Trick, Andrew Gold, The Babys, Tommy Hoehn, Spitballs, The Moberlys, Grin, Bread, Flamin Groovies, Blue Ash, The Wackers, Stories, Crabby Appleton, Target, Tim Moore, Nils Lofgren, Sneakers, The Quick, Tuff Darts, 20/20, Cheese, The Names, Moon Martin, The Knack, Greg Kihn, and many others! CD

A mid 60s album by Berry, and unlike a lot of other Chess full lengths at the time, this set features more new tunes than those pulled from 45s. 12 tracks in all, including "It Wasn't Me", "Run, Joe", "Every Day We Rock & Roll", "One For My Baby (And One For The Road)", "Welcome Back, Pretty Baby", "It's My Own Business", "Right Off Rampart Street", "Vaya Con Dios", "Merrily We Rock & Roll", "My Mustang Ford", "Ain't That Just Like A Woman" and "Wee Hour Blues". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". CD

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that has Chicken Shack really refining the blues inspirations of their roots, heading into hard rock territory, and really helping define a sound that so many other groups would soon steal and use to great radio fame! The vocals of Stan Webb are recorded with a nice sort of echo at times – more 70s guitar hero than before, but at a level that really makes them even more powerful, and less straight blues-inspired at times – bold, powerful, and with a quality that should have made Webb one of the better-remembered greats of his generation! Titles include "Revelation", "Stan The Man", "Jammin With The Ash", "Unlucky Boy", and "You Know Could Be Right". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe our favorite record ever from 70s mellow rock maestro Ned Doheny – thanks to production from Steve Cropper and arrangements from Jimmie Haskell – both of whom give the record a super-soulful sound! Ned's always had this blue-eyed style that's gotten him equal play on both sides of the 70s fence – respect from the crowds that love his smooth AOR approach, but also nods from the modern soul scene – given how many great midtempo grooves he's offered us over the years. This set's the perfect delivery on all his great promise – and is filled with wonderful cuts that include "Think Like A Lover", "Labor Of Love", "Sweet Friction", "To Prove My Love", "If You Only Knew", "Funky Love", and "Guess Who's Looking For Love Again". CD

Seminal work from Bob Dylan – one of his early electric sides, and a record that moved the singer from folk stardom to an even more explosive force in the mainstream! This is the record that forever made Dylan as influential on rock music as he was on underground styles – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of the complexity of his earlier songwriting with some tunes and messages that made his politics even more powerful than ever! The album's brimming over with genius – nearly every cut is a classic – and titles include "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Maggie's Farm", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Gates Of Eden", "It's All Over Now Baby Blue", "It's Alright Ma", "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", "She Belongs To Me", and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream". CD

The album that brought the excellent, but heretofore underappreciated duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band – and pretty much changed the fabric of 70s rock! Older fans of the Peter Green and Bob Welch Brit blues eras of Fleetwood Mac may have been in for a shock initially, but this really is one of the best unpretentious pop rock albums of the 70s – they didn't get as hugely popular as they did by luck – the songs, energy and chemistry are really perfect. We may even love this one more than Rumours, especially the deeper cuts that haven't been overplayed over the years. Includes "Monday Morning", "Blue Letter, "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "I'm So Afraid" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The album that brought the excellent, but heretofore underappreciated duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band – and pretty much changed the fabric of 70s rock! Older fans of the Peter Green and Bob Welch Brit blues eras of Fleetwood Mac may have been in for a shock initially, but this really is one of the best unpretentious pop rock albums of the 70s – they didn't get as hugely popular as they did by luck – the songs, energy and chemistry are really perfect. We may even love this one more than Rumours, especially the deeper cuts that haven't been overplayed over the years. Includes "Monday Morning", "Blue Letter, "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "I'm So Afraid" and more. CD reissue adds 4 single edits and the previously unissued "Jam #2". CD