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A double treasure from Billy Bang – two late 70s vintage performances in a single package! First up is Black Man's Blues – a really amazing performance from Bang, cut during some of his most creative years on the New York loft jazz scene, at a time when Billy was carving out a rich new space for his instrument in jazz – and helping move forward a very creative generation of musicians as well! The lineup here includes Bilal Abdur Rahman on tenor and soprano sax, William Parker on bass, Rashid Bakr on drums – along with Bang's violin, bells, shaker, and percussion. But almost even more compelling are a few spoken passages from Billy – extremely proud, righteous words, spoken with assurance that really sends them home – and which helps the album stand out strongly in the genre of jazz and spoken word. Not all tracks feature spoken bits, but when they appear, they're great – and titles include "Ganges/Enchantment/Tapestry", "Albert Ayler/Know Your Enemy", and "Black Man's Blues". New York Collage is a radio performance from 1978 – one that has a beautifully focused feel, even on some very long tracks – thanks to a bold musical vision from Bang, who's at his lean best here – able to reach for high concepts, without ever getting bogged down in them. Players include Bilal Abdur Rahaman and Henry Warner on saxes, William Parker on bass, Khuwana Fuller on congas, and Rashid Bakr on drums – and titles include "Subhanallah", "Illustration", "For Josie", and "Nobody Hear The Music The Same Way".

The 3rd album by The Dining Rooms (in case you couldn't guess by the title!) – and the best so far! These guys have really matured from earlier outings – moving into a sophisticated realm of downtempo soundscapes crafted with a great deal of care, and which are put together with a lot more than simple tricks and gimmicks. There's loads of really solid tunes in here – sly numbers that sneak up on you with a subtle approach to the craft, gently burrowing in and taking root – somehow making the album that much more compelling overall. A number of tracks have some wonderfully languid vocals, some male and some female – and these tunes fall nicely next to instrumental numbers with a very evocative approach. Titles include "Anima Per Amarti", "Tunnel", "La Citta Nuda", "Fluxus", "Flamenco Sketches", "Dreamy Smiles", "You", "African Loungesters", and a nice cover of Sun Ra's "Astro Black"!

Every great album from Milton Nascimento – packaged here together in one sweet little set – and all done as cool special sets that contain individual book-style jackets too! The style is amazing – better than any other Brazilian box set like this we've seen – with each individual album done like one of the Abril Cultural book and CD sets – a hardcover case, lots of pages inside, with a wealth of notes and photos – plus all the essential music that makes these records so wonderful! The set begins with Nascimento's earliest albums – and runs through his excellent work for EMI/Odeon in the 70s – and even includes some great 80s albums too. Includes the full albums Milton Nascimento (1967), "Milton Nascimento (1969), Milton (1970), Courage, Clube Da Esquina, Milagre Dos Peixes, Milagre Dos Piexes Ao Vivo, Minas, Geraes, Cacador De Mim, Journey To Dawn, Milton (1976), Sentinela, Milton Nascimento Ao Vivo, Missa Dos Quilombos, A Barca Dos Amantes, Encontros E Espedidas, Anima, and Clube Da Esquina 2.

A landmark album – and one of the best records you'll ever find by Mary Lou Williams! The record's a mixture of jazz and spiritual themes, and it features Mary Lou's piano set in some super-hip jazz arrangements that include players like Grant Green, Budd Johnson, Larry Gales, Melba Liston, Ben Tucker, and Percy Heath. The bass and piano work is amazing, and many tracks have a dark groove that's very subtle, but very compelling. About half the tunes feature hip choral vocalizing – in the mode of some of the Donald Byrd or Max Roach albums from the same time – mostly handled by the group of Howard Roberts. Includes the classic groover "A Grand Nite For Swinging", plus "A Fungus Amongus", "Anima Christi", "Miss DD", "The Devil", "It Ain't Necessarily So", and "My Blue Heaven". Great stuff all around – and even better than we're describing it! This CD issue features the original Mary Records cover art – different than the Saba/MPS or later Smithsonian CD versions.

A massive amount of early work by The Animals – brought together in one overstuffed package with some unreleased tracks as well! The group here have a great rough sound – much more bluesy than in later years, which turns out to be a perfect setting for the young Eric Burdon – whose vocals soar out wonderfully over a mix of original tunes and remakes of American classics by folks like Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and others! Producer Mickie Most really knows how to keep the right sort of edge on the tunes – lots of raw power in the instrumentation, especially the Hammond and guitar – and a stark, dark quality to Eric's vocals that went onto become the stuff of legend. Package features 40 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Believe To My Soul", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Club A Go Go", "For Miss Caulker", "Feel", "Boom Boom", "Don't Want Much", "It's My Life", "House Of The Rising Sun", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "I'm Gonna Change The World".

A Brazilian underground classic from the early 70s – mindblowing work that mixes heavy percussion with lots of guitar – in a style that's samba soul one minute, but heavier rock the next! There's a bit of a Jorge Ben influence going on at times – particularly in the way the record uses quickly-strummed acoustic guitar next to the earthy rhythms – but the overall sound is also a bit more fragile at times, and rougher around the edges, especially at its most expressive moments. But that quality only serves to make the album more striking – an instantly captivating set that needs no previous cultural knowledge at all! Really tremendous stuff – the kind of lost treasure that will have you scratching your head, but loving it at the same time! Titles include "Apelo", "Grinfa Louca", "A Mente", "Tramba", "Madalena", "Mensageiro", "Cristina", "Olhar Animal", and "Microfones Metalicos".

An American psychedelic classic from mid 70s Baltimore – awash in heavy fuzz and lots of electric effects! Jungle Rot has a raw, earnest quality that few other records can match – perhaps the first albums by MC5 or The Stooges – or the very first EP by Pussy Galore – but it's also very much its own animal, as is most music that's come out of Baltimore over the years! Brigman's guitar is recorded here with lots of pedals, effects, and echo – all very spaced out and trippy, and sounding a lot more late 60s than you'd guess from the date of the record. The tunes are often simple and straightforward – and sometimes slightly bluesy underneath all the fuzz – and the vocals are wonderfully abstracted in all that echo, coming out almost like Alan Vega on the first Suicide album. Titles include "Jungle Rot", "DMT"," Don't Bother Me", "Schoolgirl", "I Feel Alright", "Worrying", and "It's Misery".

Stellar grooves from Charles Earland – a great mix of jazz, soul, and funk – put together in a way that's quite different from his previous records on Prestige or Mercury Records! The sound here is tight 80s soul – put together by Tom Tom Washington, who gives the whole thing a sophisticated Chicago vibe – and one that matches Charles' sweet keyboard solos with wickedly sharp rhythms, and some occasional vocal bits too. Singers include Larry Blackmon, TC Campell, and Charles himself – but there's still a focus that seems to be more on the instrumentation overall – served up with some mighty nice organ lines from Earland. Titles include "The Only One", "Marcia's Waltz", "You Belong To Me", "Never Knew Love Like This Before", "Guilty", "Laser Lips", "Earland's Jam", and "Animal". CD features "Never Knew Love Like This Before (single)", "Guilty (single)", "Animal (12" version)", and "The Only One (12" version)".

An excellent reissue of the Wild Style soundtrack that exactly reproduces the original single LP format! The album's nice and lean, with 12 great tracks – including "Wild Style Theme Rap 1" by Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein, "Basketball Throwdown" by Cold Crush Bros & The Fantastic Four, "Stoop Rap" by Double Trouble & Rodney Cee, "Rammellzee & Shock Dell at the Amphitheatre" with Grandmixer DST, "Wild Style Subway Rap 2" by Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein, and "Cold Crush Brothers At The Dixie". Loads of older scratching and mixing, and some very nice old school freestyling!

The groovy groovy music of Free Design – taken to places we never would have expected! Like the first volume in this series, this one features older sunshine pop tunes by the group, remixed in styles that really expand past the originals – often at a level that completely abstracts the work, and creates a fresh new flurry of beats, keys, sounds, and vocals! The highlight here may well be Stereolab & The High Llamas' version of "Harve Daley Hix", but Caribou also turn in a great spacey jazz reading of "Dorian Benediction" – and the 3 other tracks are pretty great too! Titles include "Girls Alone (Nobody Muzak mix)" by Nobody with Ikey Owens, "To A Black Boy" by Danger Mouse & Murs, and "The Proper Ornaments" by Super Furry Animals.

Once again the GZA shines as the true Genius of the Wu Tang Clan. He continues to move in a more straight ahead rhyme direction, but there's still some nice metaphorical, numerological and knowledge dropping moments sprinkled in between the all-up-in-your-face Wu attitude alongside his acronym rhyme style, over crisp Wu beats. 14 tracks, without any skits to waste your time, unless you count the obligatory intro, including "Did Ya Say That", "Silent", "Knock, Knock", "Animal Planet", "Fam (Members Only)", "Legend Of The Liquid Sword", "Luminal", "Sparring Minds", "Rough Cut"and "Uncut Material".

A much-needed tribute to one of the greatest groups on Creation Records – one of the few to really get the label's aesthetic perfectly right – and a vastly overlooked group that's finally getting its due! House Of Love had a near-perfect revision of psychedelia going on in the mid 80s – a style that honed the 60s genre down to all its best bits, yet without any of the clunky or commercial leaning that you'd find in any other acts of the time – particularly the paisley underground from LA – and without any of the too-stoned traps that so many Brit groups fell into a few years later. House Of Love know that guitars are god – and use them here in some of the same echoey territory of Felt, but a lot more deftly too – sometimes pretty darn fuzzy, yet always a lot more tunefully focused than Jesus & Mary Chain too. And while the group only recorded for two short years, they really left behind an amazing legacy – served up here in the core House Of Love album, and augmented by a huge amount of important singles, b-sides, and compilation tracks – then further expanded by a wealth of unissued tracks and demos as well. The 3CD package is way way more than any of us got back in the day – and we're hoping that it will finally get these guys the appreciation they deserve. Titles include "Shine", "Love", "Real Animal", "Christine", "Destroy The Heart", "Blind", "Mr Jo", "Plastic", "Nothing To Me", "Man To Child", "Salome", "Read", and "Happy".

Rare music composed by Maurice Jarre – done relatively early in his career of work for feature films, but also some of his best! The album features new recordings of music from four early 60s movies – Pleins Feux Sur L'Assassin, Les Dimanches De Ville D'Avray, Judex, and Les Animaux – all Jarre music that was never issued on older soundtrack albums – which makes this collection even more essential! The recording is quite faithful to the spirit of older soundtrack music – nothing too contemporary at all, which means that all the tracks here definitely feel as if they were lifted from early 60s films – although with arguably better sound overall. The package features full notes in English and French – and the depth of Jarre's music is wonderful – far past what we might have expected from his bigger hits of later years.

Some of the most whimsical music ever penned by Michel Legrand – music for two animated films from the late 70s! First up is Legrand's excellent score for a Baron Munchausen film – handled with these surprisingly deep tones at times, yet still mixed with a sense of fable-like wonder, too – a bit like his landmark score for Peau D'Ane from a decade before. Like that one, there's some nice sing-song moments here, and some more serious elements that balance things out beautifully – and trust us, the whole thing is way better than any US animated scores that were coming out at the time! Titles include "Sur La Route De Trukesban", "Recit Du Baron", "Theme De L'Aventure", "Chanson De La Sirene", and the playful vocal tune "Chanson Du Baron". Next up is music scored for an early Smurfs film – a very odd setting for Legrand, but one that he still handles beautifully! There's a handful of serious tunes, mixed in with music that's a lot more playful and cartoony – including a number of strange vocal songs, sung in goofy voices. Titles include "Hyme Au Travail", "La Flute A Six Schtroumphs", "Le Ballet De Torchesac", "Le Roi E La Flute", and "La Fete". CD also features one cool bonus track – "Building A Bird House" – from a TV special called Michel's Mixed-Up Musical Bird!

One of the hippest albums that John Lewis ever recorded – and a set that's noteworthy for the presence of two European modernists! Most of the record features Lewis in a wonderful group with trobmonist Albert Mangelsdorff – who gets plenty of space here to play in his stepping, stuttering style – one of the more angular approaches to trombone in the 60s, and a nice contrast to the piano of Lewis. The group shared by both features Karl Theodor Geier on bass and Silvije Glojarnic on drums – and titles include "Animal Dance", "Set Em Up", "Monday In Milan", and "Why Are You Blue". But possibly even better than these sides is the album's one track by the amazing Zagreb Jazz Quartet – a group that features Bosko Petrovic on vibes, in a style that's somewhat inspired by the MJQ, but a fair bit darker too! The group play the wonderful "Ornaments" – awash in blue tones and richly chromatic vibes.

Truly one of the Modern Jazz Quartet's greatest albums – and a set that has an edge and a darkness that's missing from some of their other Atlantic records! Part of the reason for this may be the group's fantastic reading of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – a killer moody track that sounds great in the group's vibes/piano style – and which leads off the album with a chilling tone that's really unbelievable! The rest of the album's pretty great too – and there's a brooding intensity we don't normally hear in the piano of John Lewis and vibes of Milt Jackson. Other tracks include Gary McFarland's "Why Are You Blue" – plus John Lewi's "Belkis", "Animal Dance", "New York 19", and "Trieste".

One of the best early albums from the legendary Moondog – a set that got wider circulation than his first few releases, and really helped expand his reach beyond New York City! Moondog's still at his simple best here – working in a blend of rhythmic percussion, stringed instruments, flute, and other rootsy instrumentation – all with echoes of Eastern styles, but served in a way that definitely has more of a touch of American exotica! All numbers are played by small groups – or even solo by Moondog – and any vocalizations take on almost an instrumental feel – sliding in alongside sound effects, animal noises, and other obscure utterings. The album's almost the art world equivalent of Martin Denny – but has a lot more depth than easy kitsch – and is still tremendously powerful stuff all these years later! Titles include "Caribea", "Big Cat", "Frog Bog", "To A Sea Horse", "Surf Session" and "Trees Against The Sky". This reissue is the original version of the record that was also issued as Moondog on Prestige.

Motorhead tearing it up in the early 80s and arguably hitting their absolute peak – the final album with the classic trio lineup of Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Taylor – capping off one of the most trailblazing periods for any band in rock & roll history! Iron Fist is as unrelenting and stubbornly gruff as the preceding Overkill and Ace Of Spades LPs, a loud and clear statement that this band was committed in full to the sound they created. Includes "Iron Fist", "Hert Of Stone", "I'm The Doctor", "Loser", "Shut It Down", "Speedfreak", "(Don't Need) Religion", "Bang To Rights" and more.

The latest audio dispensary system from Oh No – who's carved a pretty solid niche as an unpredictable, indefatigable hip hop conceptualist – this one a suite of tracks inspired by snake oil style newspaper, radio and television advertisements from decades past! Oh No is on the beats and production here on a mix of thematic instros and vocal tracks with guests Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow, Souls Of Mischief, Blu & Med, Gangrene partner Alchemist, Rapsody & Psalm One and others. Includes "Intro Doctor Visit", "Creepers", "Jones's" feat Blu & MED, "Wet 'Em Up", "The Difference", "Perfect Cylinders", "Animals" with Chali 2Na & Roc C, "Rollin' Up" with Alchemist, "Drifters", "Improvement" with Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow and more. CD also includes the bonus track "Controlled Riots" with Souls Of Mischief.

The latest audio dispensary system from Oh No – who's carved a pretty solid niche as an unpredictable, indefatigable hip hop conceptualist – this one a suite of tracks inspired by snake oil style newspaper, radio and television advertisements from decades past! Oh No is on the beats and production here on a mix of thematic instros and vocal tracks with guests Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow, Souls Of Mischief, Blu & Med, Gangrene partner Alchemist, Rapsody & Psalm One and others. Includes "Intro Doctor Visit", "Creepers", "Jones's" feat Blu & MED, "Wet 'Em Up", "The Difference", "Perfect Cylinders", "Animals" with Chali 2Na & Roc C, "Rollin' Up" with Alchemist, "Drifters", "Improvement" with Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow and the bonus track "Controlled Riots" with Souls Of Mischief.

No drummer's corpse here – as, if anything, the sound of the album is more than enough to keep the drummer alive and well – thanks to work from percussionist Mike Pride, and an array of other guest players too! The title track takes up the whole first half of the album – and features Pride on drums, gongs, organ, and more – with help from an array of other percussionists who include Bobby Previte, Oran Canfield, Russell Greenberg, Tyshawn Sorey, Ches Smith, and John McLellan – all working in a very layered approach to sound that almost feels like a drum-based take on a Glen Branca score once it gets going. There's a bit of vocals layered somewhere in the mix – and on the second track, "Some Will Die Animals", the percussion is much more spare, just handled by Pride, with guitar from Chris Welcome, bass from Eivind Opsvik, and some added recitations too.

Horace Silver at his most righteous – stepping out here in the amazing Phase 2 of his United States Of The Mind series – with some heavy vocals from the great Andy Bey! The grooves are more complicated than Silver was laying down a few years before – yet still equally soulful – and in addition to vocals by Be, and his sister Salome, the group also features Silver on electric piano, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet & fluegelhorn, Harold Vick on tenor sax, and Bob Cranshaw on bass, Richie Resnicoff on guitar and Mickey Roker on drums – a sweet little combo who really open up with a hip, righteous groove! The titles probably give more information about the tracks than we ever could, and include "Acid, Pot, Or Pills", "Soul Searchin", "What Kind Of Animal Am I", "I've Had A Little Talk", and "Big Business".

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". CD features 4 bonus tracks – including "Pressure", "Sorrow (inst)", "Seven More Days", and "Dynamite (single)".

A key turning point for Johnny Hammond Smith – 2 hip albums from the latter half of the 60s, a time when he was really changing up his groove! First up is Soul Flowers, one of Johnny's most obscure records – and a great little album that's filled with short tracks played by a largeish group – all in a groove that's almost got a cop show feel! The album's got a gritty, dirty feel that's totally great – a nice change from Johnny's early 60s soul jazz, and a definite nod at the funk that would come in the 70s. There's twin tenors on the date from Houston Person and Earl Edwards – who often blow together on the heads, creating a mini-horn section sort of feel that then breaks up into more of a small combo mode as the set rolls on. Guitar is by the wonderful Wally Richardson, who works alongside electric bass from Jimmy Lewis – rumbling nicely next to Hammond's newly-lean sound on the organ. Added congas from Richard Landrum round out the set – and titles include the wonderful "NYPD", plus "Dirty Apple", "Ode To Billie Joe", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Tara's Theme", and "I Got A Woman". Dirty Grape is excellent work from Johnny Hammond Smith – a record that really lives up to the "dirty" in the title! The approach here is a bit like some of Jimmy McGriff's recordings at the end of the 60s – organ soloist riffing around on some short hard tracks, with a bit of electric bass in the mix to soup things up a bit, rhythm-wise! The players include Wally Richardson on guitar – whose solos and sound are almost as important to the date as Johnny Hammond's – plus the twin team of Houston Person and Earl Edwards on tenor, Fender bass by Jimmy Lewis, drums by John Harris, and added conga by Richard Landrum. Tracks include some very groovy numbers – like "Dirty Grape", "Animal Farm", and "Black Strap Molasses" – plus covers of "To Sir With Love", and "Love Is A Hurtin Thing".

Two rare soundtracks from the quirky Bruno Spoerri – both of them a very cool blend of jazzy reeds and lots of electric touches! Teddy Bear is from the early 80s, and is one of the later records we've heard from Spoerri – a set that definitely bears the pedigree of its time, through cool use of Lyricon, Prophet, and Emulator keyboards! Bruno often blows his sax into the keys, then processes the reedlines in a very cool way – with a style that's more soulful than usual keyboard styles of the time, given the acoustic roots of the sounds – yet which still has a great 80s vibe overall. Things are almost in the offbeat style of some of the instrumentals from the German AtaTak scene of the time – and titles include "Too Much Smell", "The Silliest Song", "Reanimation Of A Filmmaker", "Small Talk", "The Arrest Of Groucho", and "Baby Baby". Lilith is from a few years before, and has a more conventional 70s approach – great electric piano lines over tight rhythms, with Bruno handling both tenor and Lyricon – on tunes that mix sound library funk with some of the weirder, more offbeat sounds you might know from other Spoerri soundtracks. Titles include "Singing In The Dark", "Winding Down", "The Dance", "Prepare For The Show", "Train", "Going To Work", and "Fanfare".

Two rare soundtracks from the quirky Bruno Spoerri – both of them a very cool blend of jazzy reeds and lots of electric touches! Teddy Bear is from the early 80s, and is one of the later records we've heard from Spoerri – a set that definitely bears the pedigree of its time, through cool use of Lyricon, Prophet, and Emulator keyboards! Bruno often blows his sax into the keys, then processes the reedlines in a very cool way – with a style that's more soulful than usual keyboard styles of the time, given the acoustic roots of the sounds – yet which still has a great 80s vibe overall. Things are almost in the offbeat style of some of the instrumentals from the German AtaTak scene of the time – and titles include "Too Much Smell", "The Silliest Song", "Reanimation Of A Filmmaker", "Small Talk", "The Arrest Of Groucho", and "Baby Baby". Lilith is from a few years before, and has a more conventional 70s approach – great electric piano lines over tight rhythms, with Bruno handling both tenor and Lyricon – on tunes that mix sound library funk with some of the weirder, more offbeat sounds you might know from other Spoerri soundtracks. Titles include "Singing In The Dark", "Winding Down", "The Dance", "Prepare For The Show", "Train", "Going To Work", and "Fanfare".

A surprisingly nice solo set – with the classic "Rough Boys", plus "Cat's In The Cupboard", "Let My Love Open The Door", "Jools & Jim", "A Little Is Enough", and "I Am An Animal".

A long-overdue reissue – both of Cedar Walton's fusion albums for Columbia – back to back on a single CD! Animation is one of Cedar Walton's mid 70s funky jazz efforts – acoustic keys often traded for electric piano, grooving with a funky bigger band, almost in a Ramsey Lewis mode – a really great shift that makes the record a nice change from the usual Walton groove! Cedar's a lot busier on the keys than Ramsey was at the time, though – not as kicked-back Fender Rhodes as he is keeping up a tight and soulful fusion groove. The approach is quite different from Walton's other albums of earlier years, but actually works quite well – and the album's a tasty set of smoother soul and funk-infused numbers, with a hint of Brazilian touches as well! Tracks include "Another Star", "Charmed Circle", "Jacob's Ladder", "Precious Mountain", "If It Could Happen", and "Ala Eduardo". Soundscapes is brilliant work from Cedar Walton – a wonderful bit of soulful fusion from the crucially overlooked late 70s years of Columbia Jazz. The album's got a blend of soul and jazz that's similar to work at the time by Bobby Hutcherson or Freddie Hubbard – occasional vocals, larger lusher production, and a style that was really well suited to bringing together the best of fusion and soul, without resorting to tricks or gimmicks. The album's filled with really wonderful cuts that are completely unlike most of Walton's other work – and which show him to be an amazing talent in the soul end of the spectrum, not just in the soul jazz one that we're used to. Tunes are wonderful, arrangements are brilliant – and the album manages to be smooth without losing any depth. Titles include the great groover "Latin America", plus "Warm To The Touch", "NPS", "Sixth Avenue", and "Naturally".

Curtis Mayfield graces the front cover – a film funk and soul focused issue #38 of Wax Poetics! This issue features a great piece on Curtis and the Superfly legacy, with Re:Discovery section profiles of soundtracks from Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man to John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 and more, the resurrected Brotherman soundtrack to the never-made film from Chicago's Final Solution, a profile of Black Dynamite composer Adrian Younge, Gangs On Film from the South Bronx of 1979 documented in 80 Blocks From Tiffany's, articles on library music, Iceberg Slim, the funk era animation of Ralph Bakshi, Spike Lee, Numero's Light On The Southside and much more! This definitely going on our top shelf of favorite issues of Wax Poetics!

One of the weirdest, wildest moog albums you'll ever hear – an amazing collaboration between moogy maestro Mort Garson and "word man" Jacques Wilson! The album's an electronic fairy tale for the late 60s scene – a pretty scary little set at the heart, given all the analogue electronics and strange sounds from Garson – as well as Wilson's oddly-penned lyrics. The whole thing's almost an audio equivalent of the psychedelic Yellow Submarine animated feature – but without the Beatles' songs, of course – although some of Mort's tunes are still pretty darn catchy! Titles include "Leave the Driving to Us", "Blue Poppy", "They're Off to Find the Wozard", "Killing Of The Witch", "Never Follow The Yellow Green Road", and "Upset Strip"

A cool tribute to the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan – served up by a host of hip Brazilian performers, all of whom come across with a very different feel than you might expect! The lyrics are mostly in English, and the inflections are definitely Dylan-esque – but the range of artists and style of performance really make the tunes way more than simple cover versions – and instead show just how deep the spirit of Robert Zimmerman has penetrated Brazilian culture! Titles include "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" by Gal Costa, "Jokerman" by Caetano Veloso, "Man Gave Name To All The Animals" by Ruy Maurity, "Mr Tambourine Man" by Daniel Lopes, "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" by Jomar Schrank, "If Not For You" by Luen, "It Ain't Me Babe" by Mallu Magalhaes, and "If You See Him Say Hello" by Renato Russo.

Incredible tunes from the second generation of the surf music scene – a time when the sweeter sounds of Southern California were shed for the heavier, headier modes of the late 60s! The package is a wonderful look at this under-exposed genre – and features rare work recorded for surf films from both the US and Australia – the latter of whom would carry the genre forward more strongly than even her American counterparts. Most tracks here are instrumental, but they're a far cry from The Surfaris or Ventures – as the guitars are often fuzzy and jamming, over rhythms built from rumbling bass and heavy drums. Titles include "Crumple Car" and "Innerspace" by Farm, "Junkyard" and "Hollywood" by G Wayne Thomas, "Big Green" and "Sitar Track" by Music Convention, "Dream Chant" by Ticket, "Transparent Dream" and "Animal Kingdowm" by Smoghorn, "Drainpipe" by The Protein Brothers, "Evolution" by Tamun Shud, and "Gypsy Shoes" by G Wayne Thomas.

Dubby punk and punky reggae from the late 70s and early 80s – song stuff from a fresh, inventive period that holds up incredibly well! There's at least a couple of straight-up legendary acts here in Bad Brains and The Slits – plus great tracks featuring members of Killing Joke, Young Marble Giants, A Certain Ratio and more – and it's pretty great all the way through! Includes numbers by The Offs, Glaxo Babies, Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Chantage, Dangerous Girls and more, Includes "Cool Down" by The Offs, "Who Killed Bruce Lee (Version)", "Same Thing Twice" by Chantage, "Merge" by Jah Scouse, "Trapper Ain't Gotta Bird" by Peter & The Test Tube Babies, "Callling Captain Nemo" by Return Of The Panthers, "More Or Less Cut" by Red Beat, "Dangerous Girls" by Dangerous Girls,"Stay Close To Me" by Bad Brains, "Animal Space" by The Slits and more. 14 tracks on the CD.

The third (and the third great) album Talking Heads – the Eno-produced Fear Of Music – with the nice funky and African influences really starting to sink in as integral elements of the group's iconic sound! To date, the group balanced their oddball elements with touches of darkness, and that continues here, too – a bit of world weary energy inflects the vibe, though without ever overshadowing the infectious energy. Includes "I Zimbra", "Mind", "Paper", "Cities", "Life During Wartime", "Memories Can't Wait", "Air", "Heaven", "Animals", "Electric Guitar" and "Drugs".

Loopzilla is from the same species as Atomic Dog – both of them funky enough animals, with post Parliament/Funkadelic P-Funk groove!

Nothing canned here – as the sound, style, and groove of the record is as fresh and freaky as the classic image on the cover! The riffing rhythms get going right from the start – some amazing lines from a rhythm combo that includes Joe Beck on guitar, Herb Bushler on bass, Jim Madison on drums, and the mighty Ray Mantilla on percussion – adding in these extra changes and fills that really get the tunes moving wonderfully – providing a perfect platform for Joe Farrell's wonderful work on tenor, soprano, baritone, and flute! The sax lines are as angular as the rhythms – tight, choppy, and completely funky – no wonder the record's a CTI classic that folks have dug for years! Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Canned Funk", "Animal", and "Spoken Silence".

A trio of amazing albums – all of which really live up to the legend of Kim Fowley! First up is the well-titled Outrageous – one of the wildest albums ever from LA scenester Fowley – done in a very weird, very messed-up style that sort of sounds like The Stooges meet The Modern Lovers meet Alice Cooper! Fowley's fantastic on vocals – which are sort of of screeched and screamed, with revolutionary Riot On Sunset Strip-type lyrics, fused with a bit of Jim Morrison stoner spiritualism – a lot more compelling than you'd expect, and really mindblowing all the way through! The album's a perfect illustration of the genius that made Kim legendary, even when he wasn't having much of an impact on the mainstream – and titles include the incredible "Animal Man", plus "Hide & Seek", "Chinese Water Torture", "Bubble Gum", "Inner Space Discovery", and "Caught In The Middle". Next is Born To Be Wild – mindblowing organ work from the mighty Kim Fowley – a rare instrumental set that has Kim carving out amazing sounds on the organ that really match is vocal force on other records of the time! The set's a bit more soulful than usual for Fowley – a record that almost pushes a soul instrumental sound more strongly than Kim's usual Sunset Strip sleaze – although there is a nice fuzzy undercurrent to the record at times too! The set burns like some lost Tower Records soundtrack – and titles include "Born To Be Wild", "Soul Limbo", "Space Odyssey", "I Can't Stop Dancing", "Savage In The Sun", "Fresno1963", and "Pictures of Matchstick Men". Good Clean Fun is filled with awesome work from madman Kim Fowley – an album that offers hard rockers, some nice groovers, and even some trippier tracks that feature spoken or performed bits! The record's got a really wonderful approach that's a look at the lost genius of the LA scene of the late 60s – emphasized by an appearance on the record by Rodney Bingeheimer, the mayor of Sunset Strip, plus work by Motorcycle John and the Frog Prince! If you've ever heard about Fowley, but never found the record to truly convey his insanity on record, this is the one to check out – as it's as brilliant as it is insane! Titles include "Energy", "Baby Rocked Her Dolly", "Motorcycle", "One Man Band", "Good Clean Fun", "Search For A Teenage Woman", "I'm Not Young Anymore", "Lights The Blind & Lame Can See", and "Kangaroo".

The early recordings of Georgia Anne Muldrow – and they're stunning – showing Georgia's depth of soul and boundless creativity was in full force even in her late teens! As a whole, the tunes on Early are a bit leaner and less trippy than some of her more recent recording, but her spirit is as open and the lyrics as spiritually minded as ever – we're pretty much floored by the high standard set here! It's a blend of beats, keys and voice from an inspiring talent, and perhaps most exciting, it sounds great, like she had been doing this for years and years already. The inner notes compare her, fairly we'd add, to Roy Ayers, J Dilla, Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, and maybe a little Innervisions-era Stevie if we can add one to the mix. Titles include "Child Of The Sun", "Never In Vain", "Run Away", "Break You Dawn", "Sunset", "Keep It Real?", "Alone With An Angel", "In Love Again", "Let It Go" and "Gears (Sing It Again)".

Tracks include "You're Gonna Get Yours (reanimated TX getaway version)", "Hazy Shade Of Criminal", "How To Kill A Radio Consultant (DJ Chuck Chillout mega murder boom)", "Party For Your Right To Fight (blak wax metromixx)", "Air Hoodlum", "Hit Da Road Jack", and "Gett Off My Back".

Lou Reed at his mid 70s live peak! Volumes have already been and will continue to be written about Lou's output in the 70s, and rightly so. This set is particularly amazing in that it follows the artful highpoint/financial failure that is Berlin – so Lou is doing the rock & roll star thing here, kinda given the people what they want in a way. What's so amazing here is that it doesn't feel like a cash-in, it's crazy good and geniunely passionate stuff! The blazing guitars don't hurt, nor does the fact the the set is heavy with Velvets-era faves. Includes "Intro/Sweet Jane", "Heroin", "White Light/White Heat", "Lady Day" and "Rock N' Roll".

A great bit of jungle exotica from funky sitar player Ananda Shankar – composed as a full piece with an "atmosphere of twilight and the feeling of watching animals at a water hole", but with a sweeping soundtracky feel that makes it more like some lost 70s film gem in the best places! There's some nicely subdued funk in the mix – as Ananda's sitar grooves over guitars, keyboards, and compressed bass and drum parts, occasionally touched with modern exotica styles, as in the work of UK combo Mandingo on their classic Studio 2 albums of the 70s. Titles include "Night In The Forest", "Jungle King", "Jungle Symphony", "Sa Ra Ga Machan", "Romantic Rhino", "Charging Tiger", and "Monkey's Tea Party".

Horace Silver at his most righteous – stepping out here in the amazing Phase 2 of his United States Of The Mind series – with some heavy vocals from the great Andy Bey! The grooves are more complicated than Silver was laying down a few years before – yet still equally soulful – and in addition to vocals by Be, and his sister Salome, the group also features Silver on electric piano, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet & fluegelhorn, Harold Vick on tenor sax, and Bob Cranshaw on bass, Richie Resnicoff on guitar and Mickey Roker on drums – a sweet little combo who really open up with a hip, righteous groove! The titles probably give more information about the tracks than we ever could, and include "Acid, Pot, Or Pills", "Soul Searchin", "What Kind Of Animal Am I", "I've Had A Little Talk", and "Big Business".

The crowning achievement of Spirit – and a record that you probably could have found in any college dorm room in the early 70s! The record's really a cut above for their generation – an expansive effort that hangs together with a bit of a concept, and which interweaves strands of rock, folk, and a bit of jazz – yet also a record that has a lot more polish than other efforts of its type, and which trades a bit of psychedelic indulgence for a tighter focus that really lets the best tunes sparkle wonderfully! Production is great – clear, but trippy at the same time – and Randy California's guitar work has never sounded better. Titles include "Nature's Way", "Animal Zoo", "Love Has Found A Way", "Mr Skin", "Soldier", "Street Worm", and "Space Child".

Late 60s laidback psyche pop from former Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine – nice stuff that skews a bit towards the folk psychedelia that was lightly buzzing from studios and concert halls from London to LA! We're digging this one, it's got the elements of the sunshine folk psyche era without the cliches and it's a well arranged to accompany Valentine's vocals. Titles include "Listen", "Everything Returns To Me", "It's All In Your Head", "Little Soldiers", "Eyes Of A Child", "Run, Run, Run", "Girl From Allemagne", "Sitting In The Sun" and more.

There's no music per se on this disc, just grunts, groans, howls and other sounds from the wild. Twelve different animals are featured, from the fierce, man-eating leopard, to the playful vervet monkey, the timid hyrax, the mighty rhinocerous, the peaceful and beautiful zebra, the strange wildebeest, the regal lion, the cackling hyena, the vicious wild dog, the crafty silver-backed jackal, the enormous elephant and the bovine hippopotamus.

A beautiful love letter to contemporary Brooklyn – originally commissioned by BAM, as part of a longer piece that included narration, animation, and paintings – but a work that stands more than strongly here on its own! The music has a wonderful mix of themes – sometimes straight, sometimes a bit more abstract, to the point of illustration – played by a shifting lineup of younger musicians who really deliver on the promise of Darcy James Argue's compositions – a group that includes John Ellis on tenor sax, Rob Wilkerson on alto, Ryan Keberle on trombone, Matt Holman on trumpet, Nadje Noordhuis on flugelhorn, and Sebatian Noelle on guitar. Titles include "The Neighborhood", "Builders", "Grand Opening", "Coney Island", "Construction/Destruction", "The Tallest Tower In The World", and "Missing Parts".

Way more than just another kiddie soundtrack – or an album for a childish TV show – as the set's a surprisingly groovy little record, almost Sunshine Pop in its best moments! We're not sure about the nature of the players or the singers – but arranger Jack Eskew put the whole thing together with a bouncy, bubbly groove that rivals the best pop-psych work of the late 60s on labels like Kapp or Uni – right down to the perfect combination of fuzzy guitars and organ in the instrumentation. Titles include "This Spot", "I'm Gonna Find A Cave", "We're The Banana Splits", "In New Orleans", "Toy Piano Medley", "Don't Go Away Go Go Girl", and the classic "Tra La La Song". CD also features bonus Splits songs – "The Very First Kid On My Block", "The Beautiful Calliope", "Let Me Remember You Smiling", and "Soul". The CD also features the album Here Comes The Beagles – from a very Splits-like show that features another group of singing animals! The Beagles aren't The Beatles, but they definitely have a strong Brit Invasion feel in their music – a UK way with a melody that's mixed with a few sunny Cali pop touches too. Very 60s, very groovy, and way better than just a kiddie record – with tunes that include "What More Can I Do", "Be The Captain", "I Wanna Capture You", "Indian Love Dance", and "You Satisfy".

The rare one-off collaborative side project by Robert Smith of The Cure and Steven Severin of Siouxsie & The Banshees! Includes "Like An Animal", "Looking Glass Girl", "A Blue In Drag", "Punish Me With Kisses", "Relax", ""Mouth To Mouth", "Like An Animal", "This Green City" and more.

Seun Anikulapo Kuti returns with another strorming set of neo classic Afro Funk in the great tradition of his father – once again fronting the incredible Egypt 80 group! It's remarkable stuff that finds Seun – the youngest son of Fela – standing up as a visionary talent. He's not only living up to an immense legacy, but moving forward with it in ways that will absolutely stand the test of time. The insistent rhythms and intense energy of the Egypt 80 group – led by Lekan Animashaun – are Afrobeat perfection, with Seun's forthright vocals out front of it. But their approach here is anything but a retread of family glories. The songs are urgent and fierce, and there are subtle modern florishes in the production – thanks in part, no doubt, to co-producer Brian Eno. Titles include "African Soldier", "You Can R Un", "Rise", "Slave Masters", "For Dem E Ye", "The Good Leaf" and "Giant Of Africa".

One of our favorite Floyd albums ever – a lot more subtle than The Wall, but with a focus missing from Wish You Were Here, too! Titles include "Dogs", "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", "Sheep", and "Pigs On The Wing".

An incredible record – unlike anything else we can think of, and one of those records that's had a fantastic life of its own in the past 25 years! The set was first recorded with production help from Marc Moulin in 1977, then released in 1981 as one of the first records on the legendary Crammed Discs label – and it's got a sound that blends together world music, electronics, jazz, and minimalism – in a true genre-busting mode that defies description! At one level, there's an artfulness here that's undeniable – but at another, the record has a spare, simple sense that's almost ethnographic – and the short tunes throughout ring out as a strange document of Europe between the cracks in the late 70s. Instrumentation includes saxes, Fender Rhodes, electronics, and a host of global percussion – and titles include "Mercredi Matin", "Animaux Velpeau", "Son Of L'Idiot", "Ciobane", "Comme On A Dit", "Mastoul Alakefak", "Vapona Not Glue", and "Fausto Coppi Arrive".

One of a pair of beautiful mono 10-inch EPs of some essential early Animals material – reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1964! Includes "Bring It On Home To Me", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place" and Club A Go Go".

One of a pair of beautiful mono 10-inch EPs of some essential early Animals material – reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1964! Includes "House Of The Rising Sun", I'm Crying", "Gonna Send You Back To Walker" and "Baby Let Me Take You Home".

The first full length from Blundetto – a Parisian radio programmer and artist showing impeccable taste here – with a slyly dubby and reggae & soul influenced groove and featuring collaborations with The Budos Band horns, Chico Mann, Tommy Guerrero, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Shawn Lee, Genreal Elektricks and Hindi Zahra! Blundetto shares compositional credits with the guest, and it has the feel of collaboration with that atmopherically soulful core groove. Really nice work for the Heavenly Sweetness label! Titles including the Blundetto cover of the Bob James classic "Nautilus" plus "Voices", "Mustang", "Mi Condena", "Cuban Shirt", "Party Animals". "White Birds", "Ken Park", "My One Girl", "Bad BadThings" and "Sunset Stroll".

One of the trippiest kids films ever made – a 70s animated feature narrated by Ringo Starr, and featuring music by Harry Nilsson! The film tells the story of Oblio, a round-headed boy living in the land of "point" – where everything is pointy, and everybody has a point on their head! Oblio gets banished to the Pointless Forest, a wild landscape that's right out of Yellow Submarine – and has lots of crazy and weird encounters along his voyage of self-discovery. And yeah, it sounds corny – but thanks to the presentation, it's pretty great – and the biggest treat of all is Nilsson's songs, which include the semi-hit "Me & My Arrow"! Also contains four bonus features not on previous releases – "Who Is Harry Nilsson", "Making The Point", "Pitching The Point", and "Legacy Of The Point".

Damn! Here's a record we wish we'd been treasuring for years and years, but it came into our lives more than 40 years after it was recorded, released and largely forgotten – an absolute masterpiece of funky country rock & soul from Jim Ford! '69's Harlan County is a record that brings so many styles into the mix that it could make you dizzy if it wasn't all so perfectly grounded by gritty southern roots, R&B and swampy rock – plus Ford's vocals, which range from wildly bugged out to soulful and richly emotional. We hear he once dated Bobbie Gentry and that makes some sense. You can compare him to lots of folks – he is as omnivorous of country, rock and southern soul in all its forms as Charlie Rich, but Ford's nowhere nearly as restrained by convention – and he's drawing from deeper wells of funk and soul. Tony Joe White comes to mind, too, as do a number of Muscle Shoals soul singers of the era. That said, Ford's his own animal! We came in late, but we'll love this record for the rest of time! Some famous fellows played on the sessions, but we won't name them, 'cuz Ford deserves all credit from us. Includes "Harlan County", "I'm Gonna Make Her Love Me", "Dr Handy's Dandy Candy", "Working My Way To LA", "Spoonful", "To Make My Life Beautiful" and more.

A wacko Kim Fowley solo album – released on Capitol in the mid 70s featuring recordings he made in '69 & '70 – and we must say, it's aptly titled! It's wild stuff in which Fowley shrieks, barks and occasionally sings on material that ranges from feral freakouts (including one tune that Kim wrote with Iggy & The Stooges in mind) to more accessible, yet primitive garage rock. Fowley plays all the instruments, too, and titles include "Night Of The Hunter", "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll", "Werewolf Dynamite", "Is America Dead?", a cover of Link Wray's "Rumble", "Ain't Got No Transportation" and more.

Seun Anikulapo Kuti returns with another strorming set of neo classic Afro Funk in the great tradition of his father – once again fronting the incredible Egypt 80 group! It's remarkable stuff that finds Seun – the youngest son of Fela – standing up as a visionary talent. He's not only living up to an immense legacy, but moving forward with it in ways that will absolutely stand the test of time. The insistent rhythms and intense energy of the Egypt 80 group – led by Lekan Animashaun – are Afrobeat perfection, with Seun's forthright vocals out front of it. But their approach here is anything but a retread of family glories. The songs are urgent and fierce, and there are subtle modern florishes in the production – thanks in part, no doubt, to co-producer Brian Eno. Titles include "African Soldier", "You Can R Un", "Rise", "Slave Masters", "For Dem E Ye", "The Good Leaf" and "Giant Of Africa".