Insanely wonderful early work from Charlie Mariano – some of the freshest, cleanest alto sax work of its time – blown with a tone and sense of soul that goes way beyond some of Mariano's contemporaries at the time! The album was recorded for Bethlehem Records, and is relatively straight – but Charlie already shows a sense of complexity in his presentation that hints at all the greatness to come – and which bursts out here with some refreshing energy that really makes the whole thing sparkle. Charlie's tone is impeccable – somewhere between Lee Konitz and Charlie Parker, with that back bay Boston blend of soul and modernism, making the city one of the best scenes for alto players in the 50s – and he gets some strong rhythm support from the trio of John Williams on piano, Max Bennett on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Blues", "Floormat", "I Heard You Cried Last Night", "Johnny One Note", and "King For A Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A very important crossover soul album – a huge hit for Otis Redding that was released after his tragic death in December 1967 – but it's also hard to say if it would have had the impact it did had Redding not passed while the LP was still in production. In a way, the record sort of set the stage for the mythologies of pop stars that would surround the tragedies in the coming years of the late 60s – with liner notes on the back by Jon Landau about the impact of Redding's work and passing on the rest of the music industry, which would be even more charged with meaning to folks buying the album at the time, who certainly knew that Redding had cut "Dock of the Bay" a few days before his death, and had missed its meteoric rise to #1 after his passing. And in fact, the album itself is more of a loose collection of tracks pulled from singles and other sources to cash in on Redding's passing – and includes odd numbers like "The Huckle Buck", which had previously appeared on a Stax promo album, or "Tramp", his famous funky duet with Carla Thomas. Other titles include "I'm Coming Home", "Ole Man Trouble", "Open The Door", and "Let Me Come On Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of early records from Hour Glass – back to back in a single set! First up is the self titled Hour Glass album – fantastic early work from Gregg And Duane Allman – a set that's nothing at all like their Allman Brothers material, but which has a wonderful style nonetheless! At some level, there's a very strong soul current running through the music – as the group mix in songs by Curtis Mayfield, Deon Jackson, and others with some headier rock material – all set up in these arrangements by Dallas Smith that seem to begin in uptown soul, then push things into more psychedelic territory! The blend is great, and makes for a really wonderful record – on titles that include "I've Been Trying", "No Easy Way Down", "Out Of The Night", "Nothing But Tears", "Heartbeat", and "Silently". Power Of Love is an excellent second set from Hour Glass – the pre-Allman Brothers Band that featured both Duane and Gregg Allman, the latter of whom is really coming into his own on the record! Unlike the group's debut, this one features a lot more original material by Gregg – and guitars that start to crackle in that sweetly cresting style that would become the group's hallmark, and which would have an undeniable influence on the sound of rock in the 70s. At some level, the whole thing's an early southern effort to answer the sounds of the Bay Area scene – and comes off beautifully, thanks to titles that include "To Things Before", "I'm Not Afraid", "Home For The Summer", "Down In Texas", "Now Is The Time", and "Going Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked late 70s work from Ronnie Foster – a rare Columbia outing that's arguably better than his earlier sides for Blue Note! There's more of a soul vibe than before in the music – but in a way that's really foregrounded, and without some of the back/forth wavering that Foster had in his groove during previous sets. Jerry Peters produced the record, and gives it a solid, confident style that's right up there with the best soul/fusion sides on Columbia at the time – and the lineup of players features great contributions from Roy Ayers on vibes, Ndugu Chancler on percussion, Harvey Mason on drums, and Alphonso Johnson on bass. Foster himself did all the arrangements – and both sings and plays a mix of keyboards that come off sounding pretty darn great. Titles include "Midnight Plane", "Happy Song", "Why Don't You Look Inside", "I Want To Bring My Love Home", "Nassau Bay", "Shooting Star", and "Easier Said Than Done". LP, Vinyl record album

A great snapshot of jazzy London in the years before the acid jazz explosion of the late 80s – and a surprisingly great soundtrack that's stood the test of time much more than the actual film! The music here represents a jazz-based undercurrent of the London scene that was already turning its ears back in time – to a pre-mod era of the late 50s, which is the setting for Colin McInnes original novel used for the film – portrayed here in a pastiche of vocal and instrumental songs that often have a fair bit of classic touches! Gil Evans was brought in for most of the instrumentals, and turns out some really sparkling charts that have all the charm of his best work of the 50s – and other contemporary artists do a pretty great job themselves – at least on the more jazz-based numbers. Evans numbers include "Va Va Voom" – and the better jazzy tunes includes the excellent "Killer Blow" by Sade, plus "Have You Ever Had It Blue" by The Style Council, "That's Motivation" and "Absolute Beginners" by David Bowie, "Rodrigo Bay" by Working Week, "Selling Out" by Slim Gallard, and "Riot City" by Jerry Dammers. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky classic from Albert King's great years on Stax – a time when he was forging his bluesy roots with all the sharp sounds the Memphis label had to provide! The album's got production and some great songs from Don Nix – who certainly makes his presence known here, by slanting the groove a bit more towards that rockish mode that was working so well with electric blues in the early 70s – a mode that was more of an evolution than the commercialization that would come a few years later – and which here, in the hands of Stax, just adds a bit of funk to the rhythms, while still letting King shine right out on top. Titles include "For The Love Of A Woman", "Lovejoy IL", "Going Back To Luka", "Like A Road Leading Home", "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven", and "Bay Area Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A great snapshot of jazzy London in the years before the acid jazz explosion of the late 80s – and a surprisingly great soundtrack that's stood the test of time much more than the actual film! The music here represents a jazz-based undercurrent of the London scene that was already turning its ears back in time – to a pre-mod era of the late 50s, which is the setting for Colin MacInnes original novel used for the film – portrayed here in a pastiche of vocal and instrumental songs that often have a fair bit of classic touches! Gil Evans was brought in for most of the instrumentals, and turns out some really sparkling charts that have all the charm of his best work of the 50s – and other contemporary artists do a pretty great job themselves – at least on the more jazz-based numbers. Evans numbers include versions of Charles Mingus' "Boogie Stop Shuffle" and "Better Git It In Your Soul", plus his own "Va Va Vaoom" – and the better jazzy tunes includes the excellent "Killer Blow" by Sade, plus "Have You Ever Had It Blue" by The Style Council, "That's Motivation" and "Absolute Beginners" by David Bowie, "Rodrigo Bay" by Working Week, "Selling Out" by Slim Gaillard, and "Riot City" by Jerry Dammers. LP, Vinyl record album

An underground classic from Karen Dalton – a record that's almost out of time, given its early 70s release – as Karen sings with spare backings that are almost in a Folkway Records mode at points, but with all these headier currents that are also indicative of the Bay Area generation too! Dalton's voice is completely unique too – unlike anything you'll ever hear – phrasing that almost hearkens back both to vintage jazz and Appalachian folk, but a style that's more long hair – as are some of the backings too. The set was recorded upstate in Bearsville – and really has all the hallmarks of the freedoms of that scene at the time – summed up beautifully on material that includes "Something On Your Mind", "In A Station", "Take Me", "Same Old Man", Are You Leaving For The Country", "Katie Cruel", and "How Sweet It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic debut of The Pointer Sisters – an album that's a lot deeper than most of their crossover pop from years to come! At the time of the album's release, the trio were a badass group of female singers on the Bay Area scene – out to redefine the role of the girl group in soul – working not only with righteous power that was a real change from modes of the 60s – but also this trans-temporal quality that had them reaching back with ease for references from decades past, which also includes a surprising amount of jazz! The highlight here is the group's classic funky break version of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" – and other titles include "Naked Food", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Sugar", "Pains & Tears", "Jada", "River Boulevard", and "Cloudburst". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant debut from Sylvester – quite different than his later disco and club work – although still pretty upbeat and groovy overall! The album's a really unique sort of effort – one that's unabashedly gender-bending, but also wonderfully solid from a musical perspective – funky at points, rootsy at others – with an odd blend of 70s soul and older R&B elements, all filtered through the genre-bending sound of the Bay Area scene of the time! Arrangements are by Sylvester and The Hot Band, but Ben Sidran produced, and we're sure that the record's offbeat qualities are partly due to his own great style of the time – that weird, slightly messed-up groove you'd find on Ben's Blue Thumb album. The set features wild covers of "Southern Man" and "My Country Tis Of Thee" – plus "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Gimme A Pigfoot", "God Bless The Child", "I'm A Steam Roller", "That Is Rock n Roll", and "Come Back Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Too Short, and like the first, a set that firmly established both the Cali scene and the Bay Area as a hotbed of harder-hitting hip hop! And sure, there were countless later gangsta acts that slide into the sorts of cliches that often marred the genre – but back at the start, folks like Too Short, Ice T, and NWA were really exploding with a sense of message that was quite a surprise to anyone whose ears were pointed to the east – really opening the door for countless other scenes to add their two cents – including the big wave that would soon rise from the south. The whole thing still sounds surprisingly fresh all these many years later – and titles include "Life Is Too Short", "I Ain't Trippin", "Nobody Does It Better", "Cuss Words", "City Of Dope", "Don't Fight The Feelin", "Rhymes", and "Pimp The Ho". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever recorded by this legendary Bay Area funk combo – a key part of that city's crossover scene, and a group who always deserves a second listen! The album's a mixture of Sly Stone funk, Tower Of Power horns, and some of the hard-burning guitar/organ lines of groups like Santana – no surprise, since all 3 powerhouse acts were contemporaries of Cold Blood! The album includes the cut "Your Good Thing", a nice remake of the Hayes/Porter classic that features guest vocals by The Pointer Sisters. Other cuts include the monster 7 minute instrumental jammer "Shop Talk", plus "Funky On My Back", "Too Many People", and "I Can't Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the Bay Area effort you might guess from the title – and instead a sweet Chicago session that's easily one of the funkiest records that Buddy Guy ever cut! There's a great mix of funk and soul mixed in with the blues – thanks to arrangements from Charles Stepney and Gene Barge, who groove Buddy up in the same new funky mode that Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters got from Chess Records at the same time. A few cuts are more stripped-down and classic – but most have this great tight groove, with instrumentation by Stepney on some surprisingly funky drums, plus Matt Murphy on guitar, Phil Upchurch on bass, and Gene Barge on tenor sax. Titles include "Goin Home", "Buddy's Groove", "She Suits Me To A Tee", "Every Girl I See", "Too Many Ways", "Crazy Love", "Keep It To Myself", and "When My Left Eye Jumps". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy Bay Area sounds here – with cuts that include "Superbyrd" and "Your Old Lady" by Steve Miller Band, "Stranger In My Own Home Town" and "Revolution" by Mother Earth, and "Codine" and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by Quicksilver Messenger Service. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally killer sound library set – every bit as funky as others that have been issued under the Afro Rock title – but a lot more obscure! The group here has wicked bass and plenty of percussion next to the drums – and the top of the sound also has some horn work that underscores more contemporary soul touches – as the whole thing holds together like some of the best Afro-inspired work on the London scene at the time, with maybe some keyboard touches that feel like they're lifted out of the Bay Area or East LA! The whole thing is a wonderfully rhythmic, totally funky party – and titles include "Facade", "Renegade", "Megaton", "Boss", "Nsambei", "Cult", "Green Hell", and "Waboco". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite tracks from the early 80s, with a sort of beeping, bouncing good time boogie track and back and forth rhymes from the Crash Crew over top. 12-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible record – and the reason to buy rare soul vinyl! This is the kind of balls-out, once-in-a-thousand soul album that you'll dig through racks for years to find – totally solid, no filler, all top-shelf material sung by an amazing under-acknowledged artist with an incredible voice! Jesse hails from the Bay Area, and he's got a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – partly southern party (ala The Tams), partly Chicago male (ala Garland Green or Gene Chandler), and partly New York uptown (ala Chuck Jackson or Tommy Hunt). But that mix doesn't even begin to describe Jesse's talents – as the record is a killer batch of original tunes, all linked together with some "live" audience noise, with vocals by Jesse that will have you coming back again and again to the record. Truly one of the real gems in our soul collection – a record that we own not just for one track, but for the amazing standout performance that sets it apart from a thousand other albums! Titles include "Green Power", "Thank You Darlin", "Facts Of Life 68", "Believe In Me Baby (parts 1 & 2)", "Bring My Baby Back", and "I'll Always Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A near-lost indie soul effort from Marlena Shaw – recorded for the tiny South Bay label in the years after leaving bigger fame at Columbia, but still working here with producer Johnny Bristol, who makes for a surprisingly professional sound. Marlena's still trying to crack the clubs with some uptempo numbers, but to our ears the mellower cuts are the best – as they get back towards the roots that first made us love her music. These include "Love Is Alive & Well", "Next Time I Fall In Love", and "Without You In My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual Bay Area group – with Virgil Gonsalves on baritone sax, Dan Pateris on tenor, Bob Badgely on trombone, Clyde Pound on piano, Gus Gustafson on drums, and either Ron Crotty or Max Hartstein on bass. LP, Vinyl record album

The first moment of genius from the Steve Miller Band – a killer debut that also features a young Boz Scaggs as a key member of the group! Steve's the core star here, though – setting things up in this amazing blend of psych, blues, and hard rock – one that's easily a lot more ballsy than most of his Bay Area contemporaries at the time – really taking off on some propulsive rhythms, razor-sharp guitar, and cooking keyboards! Scaggs' vocal help is mighty nice – and titles include "You've Got The Power", "Pushed Me To It", "Junior Saw It Happen", "Baby's Callin Me Home", "Roll With It", and "Key To The Highway". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound, the studio referenced in the title of the album, and presented in a wonderful cover image that has Cher standing outside the tiny facility with a host of legendary studio players that include Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Beckett, and Roger Hawkins! Sonny's also standing in the crowd in the photo, but he's as in the background as he is on this set – as Cher's singing alone in a soul-styled mode that's befits the setting of the album. Titles include a funky take on "I Walk On Guilded Splinters", plus "For What It's Worth", "Cry Like A Baby", "Save The Children", "Do Right Woman", and "Dock Of The Bay". Plus, the 2LP set features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 11 more numbers from a whole second Muscle Shoals album, but which was never issued – with titles that include "Momma Look Sharp", "Chastity's Song", "It Gets Me Where I Want To Go", "Easy To Be Hard", "I Believe", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "The First Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A very successful album for Blue Note – and one that took the searing tenor sax of Stanley Turrentine and backed it with some boldly soulful arrangements from Oliver Nelson! Nelson was perfect at this sort of session – able to provide full backings that infused the record with energy, yet never dominated the space of the soloist – and Turrentine really rises to the occasion here, and matches the quality heard in similar Nelson sessions with Jimmy Smith, Lou Donaldson, and Cannonball Adderley! Other players in the core group here include Kenny Burrell and Herbie Hancock – but Stan's the main star of the set with his gutsy tenor lines, all blown beautifully in a way that points towards his later experiments in this mode. Titles include "Bayou", "Mattie T", "Little Sheri", and "River's Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit one for Patti Labelle in the 80s – a set that crossed over big at the time, but which still has the lady in very soulful territory! Patti seems to sparkle most here on the mellower cuts – the gentle groovers and laidback ballads that helped open her up to a whole new audience, and which really give her a different sound than her 70s Labelle years. Titles include the Bacharach/Carol Bayer Sager title "On My Own" – sung as a duet with Michael McDonald – plus "Oh People", "There's A Winner In You", "Finally We're Back Together", "Beat My Heart Like A Drum", "Kiss Away The Pain", "Something Special", and "You're Mine Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

What a great idea! The classic Motown work of The Jackson 5 is remixed and remade by a host of super-hip producers! The cuts really retain a lot of their Motown soul flavor, and the remixers do an excellent job of pulling out some of the best elements – like guitar riffs, piano lines, and drumbeats – while still preserving the original vocal direction of the songs. The new versions of the tracks are equally great – like Monday Michiru's version of "I Wanna Be Where You Are", which has sweet vocals from Monday, and some great Fender Rhodes work! Titles include "It's Great To Be Here" remixed by Kenny Dope, "ABC" redone Kayoko Kimura & The Fireflys, "Hum Along & Dance" remixed by United Future Organization, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Shinichi Osawa, "I'll Be There" remixed by Small Circle Of Friends, and "I Want You Back" remixed by Kei Kobayoshi. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most darkly beautiful sessions ever recorded by vocalist Karin Krog – a batch of spare duets done with pianist Bengt Hallberg – in a way that offers both artists plenty of space to stretch out and do their thing! Karin's vocals are recorded with an echoey quality that only seems to further underscore the edge and emotion in her singing – and in addition to some very fluid acoustic piano, Hallberg also plays some electric keys on the set as well – often in a much more laidback, spacious sort of groove – one that creates a nice degree of juxtaposition as the tunes roll on. As usual with Krog at this point, there's a fair number of lesser-known tunes that really make the set great – including the John Surman compositions "Like That" and "The End Of The Day Song". Other titles include "Dear Bix", "You Must Believe In Spring", "Love Walked In", "Spring In Manhattan", and "I Ain't Here". CD features 2 previously unissued bonus tracks – "A Child Is Born" and "Cabin In The Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

A much rootsier set than some of Little Richard's other work for Reprise Records – a record that almost goes back to the old days, but via the hipper styles of the early 70s! HB Barnum arranged and produced the set, but the groove is less funkier than some of Barnum's other work of the time – a bit more rockish in some of the rhythms and instrumentation, which is no surprise considering the title – with a nod back towards late 50s modes, but in that new-roots way that Warner was hitting with other artists of the period. Richard's vocals hold up very well in the setting – and apart from the original tunes "Green Power" and "King Of Rock & Roll", the album features versions of "Midnight Special", "Dancing In The Street", "Brown Sugar", and "Born On The Bayou". LP, Vinyl record album

It might be argued that Martin Denny's percussion was always exotic, but this album adds a bit more to the mix, by adding a whole bunch of strange Eastern instruments, all outlined in the notes on the back. The group includes Augie Colon, Julius Wechter, Harvey Ragsdale, and Frank Kim – all of whom play percussion on various tracks. Includes "My Tane", "Cumana", "Day Delight", "Monlight On The Ganges", and "Song Of The Bayou". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure bit of Christian rock from the Seattle scene at the start of the 70s – but a record that's got a lot more to offer than just that unusual pedigree! Don't think "Jesus rock", think instead of some of the more laidback, open-minded singer/songwriter material of the Bay Area scene – especially Marin County, with its elements of rootsy instrumentation and warmly collaborative spirit in the musicianship – a perfect fit for the gently spiritual messages of Wilson McKinley, which are mostly aimed at living a good life with a clear conscience. Production is lean, but in a great way – and the strength of the music's spirit comes through wonderfully on cuts that include "Crown Of Glory", "All My Life", "Tree Of Life", "One In The Spirit", and "It's Up To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Ernestine works her way through a set of bluesy tunes with a spot of jazz – with backing by Ernie Wilkins orchestra, with players that include "Hank Jones, Tate Houston, Yusef Lateef, Ernie Royal, and Clark Terry. Titles include "My Kinda Love", "See See Rider", "All My Life", "Mound Bayou", "I'll Never Be The Same", and "Black Moonlight". Nice stuff, in the manner of her other albums on Mercury from the time! LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary vocal work from the postwar years – some of the earliest recordings from the enigmatic Yma Sumac – an artist whose records really laid the groundwork for an entire generation of exotica records to come! Sumac's authenticity has been debated over the years – but there's no denying that she's got this incredible vocal range – a many-octave approach that almost makes her sound like a human theremin – as she works with exotic backings from Les Baxter to offer up a take on Peruvian roots, styled towards a 50s bachelor pad listener! Titles include "Xtaby", "Wayra", "Taita Inty", "Monos", and "Tumpa". LP, Vinyl record album

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If you think you know Boz Scaggs, think again – because this early Columbia album features a whole different sound! The Scaggs here is a really loose and soulful one – as Boz steps out of the freewheeling late 60s Bay Area scene with a really wonderful take on blue-eyed soul – an approach that's clearly informed by the sound of The Rascals and some of the New York scene, but which also has some tasty California touches that really transform the mood. Boz vocals are pure and straightforward – and the instrumentation on the set has a tight, but laidback sort of feel – no surprise, as Boz' band of the time was really great. There's a real Free Soul sort of feel to the record – and tracks include "Moments", "Downright Women", "Painted Bells", "Alone Alone", "Near You", "We Were Always Sweethearts", "Can I Make It Last", and "We Been Away". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from Ian Hunter and group – recorded in 1969, and a great harbinger for the sound of the 70s! Titles include "Rock & Roll Queen", "Half Moon Bay", "Rabbit Foot & Toby Time", "Wrath & Wroll", "Laught At Me", "Backsliding Fearlessly", and "You Really Got Me". LP, Vinyl record album

No opera here – but a really unique early live show by The Pointer Sisters, one that shows the Bay Area quartet to be one of the most diverse soul acts of their generation! The double-length set features the girls singing a mix of older jazz tunes and a few newer tracks – scatting in vocalese one minute, and singing straighter soul the next – all with larger group backing from an orchestra directed by Tom Salisbury. There's a real "show" feeling to the album – as it was recorded even with the group's introduction on stage, as well as plenty of crowd response and an overall format that gets at the highly-entertaining mode of the Pointers in their early years. Titles include "Yes We Can Can", "Jada", "Black Coffee", "Cloudburst", "Let It Be Me", "Hands Up/Wang Dang Doodle", "Steam Heat", "Fairytale", "Shaky Flat Blues", "Love In Them There Hills", and "Salt Peanuts". LP, Vinyl record album

Righteous poetry and jazz from Eugene Redmond – aka Illu Gan Gan – a very spiritual figure from the early 70s Bay Area scene! The album was recorded live in the studio, in a style that has Redmond introducing his work, then moving into dramatic recitations backed up by small combo jazz instrumentation that includes guitar, percussion, and soprano sax. The feel is open and free, almost an African-American take on the beat poetry style of late 50s San Francisco – but with themes that are more righteous, and a bad-talking style that puts the record in the same sphere as contemporaneous work by Camille Yarbrough, Jayne Cortez, Wanda Robinson, and even Iceberg Slim. Titles include "Hummin Hookin & Cookin", "Sun Ritual", "Epigrams For My Father", "River Of Bones & Flesh & Blood", "The Edge Of Myself", and "All Athighed In Black". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early set from singer Ernestine Anderson – material recorded in Sweden with a sound that's even more sweetly swinging than some of her American albums of the time! The backings on most tracks are by Harry Arnold – one of the hippest Swedish leaders of the time, and an arranger who's clearly got an ear for the more soulful side of Anderson's vocals – hardly the sort of icy Scandinavian sort of groove you might expect! And in a way, Ernestine seems to sound even better in this setting than back home – almost a bit more balanced, with a slight sort of poise that comes through nicely on the ballads. Titles include "Experiment", "Day Dream", "Did I Remember", "Ill Wind", and "My Man". Japanese pressing, with 16 tracks – more than US version! LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest horror soundtracks ever – an intense bit of work that builds on the vocal choral style of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, using male and female voices in union with staccato orchestrations to invoke a fiercely tense mood – one that works perfectly for the spooky undercurrents of the film! The approach is amazing – and even on the mellower numbers, there's a real sense of danger lurking that makes for one heck of a spooky record – maybe even more so than some later, starker soundtracks – given the subtle approach of Jerry Goldmsith. Tracks include "The Piper Dreams", "The Fall", "The Altar", "Ave Santani", "The Demise Of Mrs Baylock", and "Killer's Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet folk rock from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – a record that's very much in keeping with some of the criss-crossing of styles going on at the time – mostly rock, but with touches of folk, a consciousness of rootsier blues, and an overall laidback and hippie-warm style! The record features some great vocals from Toni Brown and Terry Garthwaite – often singing together in a sweetly melodic style with some nice harmonies. Titles include "Brownsville/Mockingbird", "Hush", "Too Late But Not Forgotten", "Dancing Couple", and "Did You Go Downtown". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set from that second chapter on the California scene – that moment when the big initial wave of successful groups had rose and broke, leaving behind all sorts of new creative partnerships! This set's a great example of one of those – as Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner and Grace Slick come together with David Freiberg of Quicksilver Messenger Service – then open the door to a whole host of guests who really help make the whole thing an all-star Bay Area affair! You can definitely hear some echoes of Quicksilver, especially some of the more down to earth modes of the later records by that group – which fit perfectly with the vocals – and the lineup features work by Jerry Garcia on guitar on most tracks, plus Mickey Hart on percussion, Papa John Creach on violin, Jorma Kaukonen on guitar, Jack Casady on bass, The Pointer Sisters on backup vocals, and even David Crosby on guest vocals on one track. Titles include "White Boy", "Fishman", "Sketches Of China", "Ballad Of The Chrome Nun", "Flowers Of The Night", and "Across The Board". LP, Vinyl record album