All Categories — All Formats  

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King".

The Beatles at their late best – on a self-titled set that's been long immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band, with a double set that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more.

A great pre-Rubber Soul moment – with tracks that include "Honey Don't", "I Feel Fine", "Baby's In Black", "Mr Moonlight", "I'll Follow The Sun", and "No Reply".

The Beatles for sale, but never in a commercial way at all – early proof of the group's great balance between mainstream appeal and sounds that still stick to the frontiers of rock and roll! The tunes are short, and heavy on influences from American R&B – yet the Fab Four are already crafting their new sound strongly, and have a melodic brilliance that's hard to deny! Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "Honey Don't", "Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "Rock & Roll Music", "I'll Follow The Sun", "Mr Moonlight", and "No Reply".

The Beatles for sale, but never in a commercial way at all – early proof of the group's great balance between mainstream appeal and sounds that still stick to the frontiers of rock and roll! The tunes are short, and heavy on influences from American R&B – yet the Fab Four are already crafting their new sound strongly, and have a melodic brilliance that's hard to deny! Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "Honey Don't", "Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "Rock & Roll Music", "I'll Follow The Sun", "Mr Moonlight", and "No Reply".

Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Every Little Thing", and "Yes It Is".

Titles include "Roll Over Beethoven", "Thank You Girl", "She Loves You", "I'll Get You", and "I Call Your Name".

Quite different than the original US release of this classic soundtrack – as this UK lineup features a lot more songs – a side one's worth of gems from the film, and side two featuring additional new tracks from Lennon & McCartney! Movie tunes include "If I Fell", "Hard Day's Night", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Tell Me Why", "I Should Have Known Better", and "And I Love Her" – and other tracks include "You Can't Do That", "Any Time At All", "Things We Said Today", and "I'll Cry Instead".

A great little record that's kind of a prequel for Rubber Soul – filled with short, tuneful tracks that would flower more deeply on that later album – and often served up with a bit more wit and adult consciousness than in any of the group's earlier records! One of those records that we always forget about, until we drop the needle – the revel in its sweet blend of Beatles modes on tracks that include "Help", "The Night Before", "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", "I've Just Seen A Face", "Yesterday", "Act Naturally", "It's Only Love", "Ticket To Ride", and "I Need You". Original 14 track UK lineup – much different than the American release!

Titles include "Hey Jude", "Revolution", "Paperback Writer", "Ballad Of John & Yoko", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Old Brown Shoe", and "I Should Have Known Better".

A bittersweet farewell from The Beatles – a record that definitely shows the fracturing unity of the group, with lots of near-solo moments – but a set that also makes us really wonder what they'd have done with all this genius, had they managed to hold it together! There's great hints here of the solo work to come – especially from George Harrison and John Lennon – and the Phil Spector production really helps open up a new sound for the group. Includes the genius cuts "I Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine", "One After 909", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be".

A bittersweet farewell from The Beatles – a record that definitely shows the fracturing unity of the group, with lots of near-solo moments – but a set that also makes us really wonder what they'd have done with all this genius, had they managed to hold it together! There's great hints here of the solo work to come – especially from George Harrison and John Lennon – and the Phil Spector production really helps open up a new sound for the group. Includes the genius cuts "I Dig A Pony", "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine", "One After 909", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be".

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the group, yet also with some catchier numbers too – great sing-songy tracks that undoubtedly were a big mainstream influence to the world of late 60s psych! Titles include "Blue Jay Way", "The Fool On The Hill", "Flying", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Baby You're A Rich Man".

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the group, yet also with some catchier numbers too – great sing-songy tracks that undoubtedly were a big mainstream influence to the world of late 60s psych! Titles include "Blue Jay Way", "The Fool On The Hill", "Flying", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Baby You're A Rich Man".

Titles include "This Boy", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Not A Second Time", "I Wanna Be Your Man", and "I Want To Hold Your Hand".

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole".

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole".

An iconic early cover image from The Beatles – with iconic early music to match! The tunes are short, tuneful, and undeniably great – that sound that instantly set the group apart from just about all of their contemporaries. Titles include "It Won't Be Long", "All My Loving", "Hold Me Tight", "Roll Over Beethoven", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Money", "Little Child", and "Devil In Her Heart".

Raw early Beatles – recorded in Hamburg at the beginning of the 60s when they were backing up singer Tony Sheridan – surprisingly well-preserved recordings, assuming that no one knew that this little backing band was going to take over the entire pop music world in a few years! We actually really dig the stripped-down, fairly rudimentary, though nicely rollicking Beatles instrumentation here – with charismatic vocals by Sheridan as well as some nice early Beatles compositions and vocals. The original release of this material may have been a post-breakout cash grab, but the music holds up really well and it's very much worthy! Includes "Ain't She Sweet", "Cry For A Shadow", "Let's Dance", "My Bonnie", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Ruby Baby", "Why", "Nobody's Child", "Ya Ya" and more.

Sure it's a soundtrack, and sure it's got a number of songs that are just instrumentals from the film – but the record also features some excellent late Beatles tracks that can only be found here – including the killer tracks "Hey Bulldog" (almost a funky nugget), "Only A Northern Song", and "All Together Now". Also includes "Yellow Submarine" (natch) – plus "It's All Too Much" and "All You Need Is Love" – and side two features a number of groovy instrumentals from George Martin – including "Pepperland", "Sea Of Holes", "March Of The Meanies", and "Pepperland Laid Waste".

Sure it's a soundtrack, and sure it's got a number of songs that are just instrumentals from the film – but the record also features some excellent late Beatles tracks that can only be found here – including the killer tracks "Hey Bulldog" (almost a funky nugget), "Only A Northern Song", and "All Together Now". Also includes "Yellow Submarine" (natch) – plus "It's All Too Much" and "All You Need Is Love" – and side two features a number of groovy instrumentals from George Martin – including "Pepperland", "Sea Of Holes", "March Of The Meanies", and "Pepperland Laid Waste".

The Chipmunks take on The Beatles – in an early version of fab four fun! Titles are almost all early Lennon/McCartney numbers, sung by Alvin and the gang with a surprisingly nice groove!

Classic 60s pop from Jackie DeShannon – served up here with a massive batch of bonus tracks too! The core album was issued after Jackie's successful run opening up for The Beatles during their first American tour – but more than that easy association with the Fab Four, the record's actually a surprisingly great batch of material with a sweet west coast pop groove – and one that includes a fair number of original tunes written by Jackie herself! Jackie's ability to write her own material really made her stand out amongst sweeter female 60s singers – and it ensured that on an album like this, she'd be working with a depth that went beyond simple pop, and which avoided the over-trodden filler that clogged up too many other albums of the genre. Bonus tracks follow in a similar DeShannon-penned spirit – and the CD features a total of 20 tracks that include "She Don't Understand Him Like I Do", "Should I Cry", "You Won't Forget Me", "Did He Call Today Mama", "When You Walk In The Room", "Oh Boy", "The Prince", "Over You", "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", and "Today Will Have No Night".

A beautiful take on the music of The Beatles – done in a completely different style than the originals! The tunes here are all famous numbers from the glory days of the fab four, plus a few later solo songs too – but Ze Ramalho performs them all in a mellow, stripped-down setting that often just features his vocals and guitar in the lead, with some occasional extra supporting instrumentation – all at a level that's way more Brazilian than British! A few of the later compositions add in some bigger backings, but never too slick or commercial – and a few others feature some great forro-styled accordion – an instrument that we're not sure the Beatles ever used in their own recordings. And best of all are the vocals – which have all the aging, raspy charm you might expect from Ramalho's image on the cover. Titles include "Golden Slumbers", "If I Fell", "Carry That Weight", "Your Mother Should Know", "Dear Prudence", "Beware Of Darkness", "Isn't It A Pity", "It Don't Come Easy", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "I Need You", and "In My Life".

One of the weirdest Beatle-related projects of the 60s – and one of the most abstract, as well! The album's got kind of an odd concept – in that it purports to be a rediscovery of rare baroque music roots of famous Beatle tunes by Lennon & McCartney – recorded with offbeat arrangements done by Joshua Rifkin. Unlike other simple cover albums of the time, Rifkin's music here really changes up the tunes strongly – moving the rockers into complicated orchestral territory with lots of flourishes on the woodwinds and strings – played here by the "Baroque Ensemble Of The Merseyside Kammermusikgesellschaft" – clearly a studio group with a good sense of humor! The album includes versions of "Eight Days A Week", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "Ticket To Ride", "Hold Me Tight", "Things We Said Today", and "Help".

The Rubber Band turn their talents towards The Beatles – after successful earlier albums based around the work of Cream and Jimi Hendrix! The sound here is a bit more playful than the funkier sets from before – almost whimsical at times, with instrumentation that does odd things with woodwinds, strings, and other instrumental bits. Most of the tunes are from the later Beatles years – post-Revolver material arranged nicely by John Bahler – with titles that include "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "She's Leaving Home", "Here Comes The Sun", "Blackbird", "Getting Better", and "Got To Get You Into My Life".

A pair of lost classics – back to back in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Mary Wells album – non-Motown magic from Wells – a killer 60s album that really lives up to her previous promise! The scope is a bit wider here than before – and Mary's wonderful throughout, sticking closely in that classic blend of class and soul that made her one of the first standout stars of Motown – moving in equally great company here with studio help from Carl Davis, Riley Hampton, and Andre Williams! The tunes have a sweet midtempo groove – almost a bit of early Detroit into Chicago mid 60s soul – and titles include "Never Never Leave Me", "Use Your Head", "My Mind's Made Up", "Why Don't You Let Yourself Go", and "We're Just Two Of A Kind". Love Songs To The Beatles is even more compelling – the best of the 60s genre! Sure, Esther Phillips and a few other 60s soul singers were recording Beatles tracks – but Mary Wells was the real deal, as she even had the support of the group itself, who made it known that she was one of their favorite American soul artists. This nice album on 20th Century features an all-Beatles set of tracks – with titles like "I Should Have Known Better", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Yesterday", "And I Love Him", and "Ticket To Ride". The arrangements are all uptown soul, and give the songs a more sophisticated sound than the original recordings. A record we don't see that often, and a nice lost gem! Bonus tracks include "Jive Guy", "I'm Learnin", "I'm Sorry", "Say What You Gotta Say", and "Memories Are Creepin Up On Me".

One of the coolest collections of Beatles work by Brazilian artists in this hip series from Discobertas – a set that features groundbreaking material penned by the group in 1968 – a few tracks from famous albums, but also some real obscurities too – including some key compositions from emerging solo projects too! The range of songs here is great – way more than just Beatles' hits covered by other artists – and instead that deep contemplation of the greatness of the fab four that held Brazilian music fast in the years of the big MPB boom – which makes the album almost a return to the influence that the group had on Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and others. These recordings are all new, and the set is a huge batch of 21 titles that include "Cosmically Conscious" by Alexandre Crof, "Not Guilty" by Alvin L, "Badge" by Ramirez, "Sour Milk Sea" by Paulo Ricardo, "Lady Madonna" by A Bolha, "Singalong Junk" by Jullie, "Thingumybob" by Victor Biglione Trio, "Pepperland" by Robertino De Recife, "Step Inside Love" by Zelia Duncan, "Junk" by Regina Machado, and "Across The Universe" by Raimundo Fagner.

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the tracks here are from the final years of the group – and lots of titles here are from separate solo projects – opened up and given a whole new sort of energy here – showing the rich inspiration the fab four were still able to provide, even at the end! Beatles music has been a crucial influence on Brazil, from the 60s Jovem Guarda and Tropicalia scenes onward – and the work here really shows the range of influences, extrapolated through really creative instrumentation, vocal arrangements, and production techniques. The whole thing's hardly another "tribute to" session – and instead is more like an extended poem inspired by the work of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Titles on this second volume include "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" by Front, "Old Brown Shoe" by Twiggy & Holics, "Hot As Sun" by Surfadelica, "The Back Seat Of My Car" by Aerocirco, "Another Day" by Ze Ramalho, "Isn't It A Pity" by Hevelyn Costa, "Behind That Locked Door" by Sergio Reis, "Beautiful Girl" by Emmerson Noguiera, "I Found Out" by Saomer Zwadomit, and "I Live For You" by Tantra.

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the tracks here are from the final years of the group – a fair bit of material from Abbey Road – opened up and given a whole new sort of energy here – showing the rich inspiration the fab four were still able to provide, even at the end! Beatles music has been a crucial influence on Brazil, from the 60s Jovem Guarda and Tropicalia scenes onward – and the work here really shows the range of influences, extrapolated through really creative instrumentation, vocal arrangements, and production techniques. The whole thing's hardly another "tribute to" session – and instead is more like an extended poem inspired by the work of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Titles on this third volume include "Here Comes The Sun" by Joyce, "Something" by Flavio Venturini & Aggeu Marques, "Polythene Pam" by Autoramas, "The End" by Milton Nascimento, "Mean Mr Mustard" by Joao Donato with Paula Morelenbaum, "Because" by Aretha, "Golden Slumbers" by Elis Regina & Milton Nascimento, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" by Pouca Vogal, and "Her Majesty" by Silvia Machete.

A cool take on the Beatles' White Album – served up by a host of different Brazilian artists who really make the most of the music! The record is easily the most experimental set ever issued by The Beatles – and the artists here definitely keep that fact in mind – shifting their styles nicely from track to track, and taking plenty of chances with the tunes – which makes the whole thing way more than just another cover record or tribute album! Given the huge influence The Beatles had on Brazilian music – from the jovem guarda to the Tropicalia scene and beyond – the set's a great illustration of that power. Tracks include "I'm So Tired" by Dissonantes, "Martha My Dear" by Marcio Greyck, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Manfred, "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill" by Daniel Tendler, "Wild Honey Pie" by Bacalhau, "Back In The USSR" by Rodrigo Santos & George Israel, "Dear Prudence" by Ze Ramalho, "Birthday" by Pato Fu, "Revolution 1" by Tantra, and "Good Night" by Jerry Adriani & Tantra.

A strangely wonderful album – Count Basie's group performing tunes by the Beatles, and doing a better job than they had on a similar Verve album from a few years before! Part of the credit goes to arranger Bob Florence, who gives the tunes a really fluid swing – with lots of cascading reed parts that soar and dip in a groovy late 60s mode that's perfect for the songs. Basie and crew clearly enjoy their work, too – and the band really sets up nicely on late Beatles tunes that include "Norwegian Wood", "The Fool On The Hill", "Something", "Get Back", "Come Together", and "Penny Lane".

The Beatles at their late best – on 1968's self-titled set – now immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band with a double that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more.

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and titles include "Norwegian Wood", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"".

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and this version features 14 songs that include "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "What Goes On", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"".

Raw early Beatles – recorded in Hamburg at the beginning of the 60s when they were backing up singer Tony Sheridan – surprisingly well-preserved recordings, assuming that no one knew that this little backing band was going to take over the entire pop music world in a few years! We actually really dig the stripped-down, fairly rudimentary, though nicely rollicking Beatles instrumentation here – with charismatic vocals by Sheridan as well as some nice early Beatles compositions and vocals. The original release of this material may have been a post-breakout cash grab, but the music holds up really well and it's very much worthy! Includes "Ain't She Sweet", "Cry For A Shadow", "Let's Dance", "My Bonnie", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Ruby Baby", "Why", "Nobody's Child", "Ya Ya" and more.

Sure it's a soundtrack, and sure it's got a number of songs that are just instrumentals from the film – but the record also features some excellent late Beatles tracks that can only be found here – including the killer tracks "Hey Bulldog" (almost a funky nugget), "Only A Northern Song", and "All Together Now". Also includes "Yellow Submarine" (natch) – plus "It's All Too Much" and "All You Need Is Love" – and side two features a number of groovy instrumentals from George Martin – including "Pepperland", "Sea Of Holes", "March Of The Meanies", and "Pepperland Laid Waste".

Stax Does The Beatles – and they do a pretty nice job of it too! The collection's a much better one than you might expect from the title and cover – as the grooves here are all pretty darn soulful, and not just simple copycat modes of hits by the Fab Four – but even more importantly, the package features a number of previously unissued tracks from the Stax Records vaults – making it even more essential, even if you have some of the originals! The vibe here is totally great – a real transformation of The Beatles' original ideas – taken into heavier Memphis soul territory, which often gets increasingly righteous during some of the later recordings here. Previously unreleased titles include "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Booker T & The MGs, "Yesterday (live)" by Carla Thomas, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Bar-Kays, and an alternate take of "Day Tripper" by Otis Redding – plus "Help" by David Porter, "And I Love Her" by Reggie Milner, "Something" by Issac Hayes, "Hey Jude" by The Bar-Kays, "My Sweet Lord" by John Gary Williams, and "Lady Madonna" by Booker T & The MGs.

Pure brilliance from start to finish – especially the second side of the record, which has a continuous run of tunes that's very unique – and still completely sublime all these many years later! The album shows the fracturing ideas of the group, but crafted together with a unity you won't find on The White Album or Let It Be – still a way of making it all gel together beautifully, as the fab four stretch their wings to find new ways of being. Added instrumentation is used wonderfully – never overdone, but with orchestral passages that can really hammer home the best musical moments – and titles include "I Want You", "Because", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Golden Slumbers", "The End", "Her Majesty", "Polythene Pam", and "Sun King".

A great collection of all the number 1s The Beatles scored in the 60s!

Maybe our favorite Beatles album ever – a key set that bridges the catchiness of the early years and the sharper ideas of later albums – with a slightly sinister undercurrent that really keeps things fresh! The album's got some great early psych in spots, offset with wonderfully mature and sweet lyrics on the love songs – cross-cut with a bit of witty social commentary too! Tracks include "Taxman", "Eleanor Rigby", "Love You To", "Here There & Everywhere", "She Said She Said", "And Your Bird Can Sing", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and "For No One".

Easy listening jazz orchestra takes on some of the top pop songwriters of the day! No group's work was more adaptable to groovy orchestral arrangements the John, Paul, George & Ringo, and Chacksfield is well beyond being merely up to task, and this set is loads of groovy fun. Includes "Get Back", "Michelle", "Yesterday", "A Hard Day's Night", "Norwegian Wood", "Come Together" and more.

Sure, Esther Phillips and a few other 60s soul singers were recording Beatles tracks – but Mary Wells was the real deal, as she even had the support of the group itself, who made it known that she was one of their favorite American soul artists. This nice album on 20th Century features an all-Beatles set of tracks – with titles like "I Should Have Known Better", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Yesterday", "And I Love Him", and "Ticket To Ride". The arrangements are all uptown soul, and give the songs a more sophisticated sound than the original recordings. A record we don't see that often, and a nice lost gem!

The sound of The Beatles, completely re-imagined by a host of hip acts from Brazil – a stunning lineup that includes some under-discovered talents from the younger generation, plus a few key artists from earlier years as well! As you'd guess from the "69" in the title, most of the tracks here are from the final years of the group – mostly numbers from Let It Be,plus some solo tunes too – opened up and given a whole new sort of energy here – showing the rich inspiration the fab four were still able to provide, even at the end! Beatles music has been a crucial influence on Brazil, from the 60s Jovem Guarda and Tropicalia scenes onward – and the work here really shows the range of influences, extrapolated through really creative instrumentation, vocal arrangements, and production techniques. The whole thing's hardly another "tribute to" session – and instead is more like an extended poem inspired by the work of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Titles on this first volume include "Dig It" by Astronauta Pingium, "Let It Be" by Ivan Lins, "Two Of Us" by Leoni & Leo Jaime, "Dig A Pony" by Biquini Cavadao, "Across The Universe" by Rodrigo Santos, "Paul's Piano Intro" by Vitor Araujo, "Let IT Down" by Maria Gadu, "Wah Wah" by Tortu with Sergio Dias, and "The Long & Winding Road" by Raimundo Fagner.

Stax Does The Beatles – and they do a pretty nice job of it too! The collection's a much better one than you might expect from the title and cover – as the grooves here are all pretty darn soulful, and not just simple copycat modes of hits by the Fab Four – but even more importantly, the package features a number of previously unissued tracks from the Stax Records vaults – making it even more essential, even if you have some of the originals! The vibe here is totally great – a real transformation of The Beatles' original ideas – taken into heavier Memphis soul territory, which often gets increasingly righteous during some of the later recordings here. Previously unreleased titles include "Got To Get You Into My Life" by Booker T & The MGs, "Yesterday (live)" by Carla Thomas, "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Bar-Kays, and an alternate take of "Day Tripper" by Otis Redding – plus "Help" by David Porter, "And I Love Her" by Reggie Milner, "Something" by Issac Hayes, "Hey Jude" by The Bar-Kays, "My Sweet Lord" by John Gary Williams, and "Lady Madonna" by Booker T & The MGs.

Uncut covers The Beatles: The Complete Story for this essential issue in their Ultimate Music Guide Series – focusing solely on their years as a band – with both classic interviews and new content from the expert team at Uncut! We saw the cover and wondered how they could pull this off – but they do it quite well, actually, by focusing square on John, Paul, George and Ringo as a band – and saving the solo output for another day. It features reviews of each Beatles era LP, from the raw debut of Please, Please Me to the Phil Spector polished swan song Let It Be – and also the best of later compilations like Past Masters, Anthology and others. Even better are the reprints of classic features from Uncut, Melody Maker and NME and the dozens of classic and rare photos of the group!

The All Music Guide Required Listening collection of essential classic rock – featuring 1000 album reviews from the excellent All Music Guide reviewers – from the uber-legendary likes of Dylan, Springsteen, The Beatles, Hendrix and the like – to just as important and less mainstream celebrated greats like The Move, The Pretty Things, Grin, Tommy Bolin and so many more! Paperback, 271 pages.

An amazing little record – with results that are even greater than the sum of its parts! As you'd guess from the title, Count Basie takes on the 60s sounds of The Beatles – but he's doing so with arrangements from the great Chico O'Farrill – who really keeps things interesting throughout – throwing in those hip rhythms and odd twists and turns he first forged with his Latin recordings – in ways that definitely live up to the groovy pedigree of the tunes. And the Basie group's got a groovier sound than usual – probably due to the arrangements – and Basie plays some nice organ riffs on a number of the album's tracks – one of the Count's rare outings on the instrument, always a treat. Titles include "Help!", "Can't Buy Me Love", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "All My Loving", and "And I Love Her". Proof that The Beatles' influence was way farther reaching than you'd ever expect!

A hip little set from The Beat Boys – an Argetine group working in late 60s Brazil, supposedly with a bit of an influence on the sound of Tropicalia! The sound here is a bit straighter than the work of Caetano Veloso or Os Mutantes – a bit in the Jovem Guarda sound of more mainstream Brazilian rock, but with some hipper influences too – including a strong Beatles influence that makes for some great harmonies on the vocals, and instrumentation that really pushes beyond the standard straight Anglo rock modes of the time. Instrumentation features some fuzzy guitars, which are occasionally a bit tripped-out – plus organ, bass, and drums – all topped by echoey vocals from the group. Titles include "O Meu Tamborim", "A Time For Remembrance", "A Felicidade", "Wake Me Shake Me", "Sempre Esperando", "Aria Para A Corda Sol", and "Era Uma Menina". CD reissue features some great notes on the band, plus some vintage photos – and also includes the bonus track "Canudinho".

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock lowpoint in the Beatles' career, consider how many soul and jazz artists either covered the whole album, performed songs from it, or referenced it in their album covers. This little gem is proof that the compositions already had a life of their own within a short time of the release of the record – as Book and crew take the Beatles' tunes to whole new heights, working them together into a complicated batch of grooves that really pushes past their earlier work on Stax. Who knows, perhaps The Beatles were just the kick that Book needed – we can't ever tell the whole story, but we can say that the record marks a strong turning point for the group, and is well worth having for a variety of reasons. Titles include "The End", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Because", "I Want You/She's So Heavy", and "Polythene Pam".

Author Mick Brown chronicles the fascinating, tragic world of the Phil Spector – the most fascinating figure in American pop music history – thanks to both his unrivaled genius and artistry, his fabled reclusiveness and ultimately, real life crime noir tragedy. From his epic work with the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, The Beatles, The Ramones and the many less iconic artists, to the recluse years and the bizarre shooting in his home, this is richly researched, very well done bio by Brown. Engrossing and briskly readable, even as a fairly hefty girth, Hardcover, more than 500 pages.

A glorious relic of early 70s studio pop – and a record that's awash in unapologetic references to The Beatles and The Beach Boys! Chesapeake Jukebox Band were a short-lived collaboration between singer-songwriters Steve Sawyer and Freddie McFinn, who are working here with genius producer Ron Frangipone in the best compressed style of the legendary Record Plant studios. There's lessons here learned clearly from Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, George Martin, and some of the hipsters on the late 60s Warner scene – but an overall approach that's a bit more personal in the lyrics – which makes for a great combination with the loftier production of the album. At one level, there's also a spaciousness here that reminds us a bit of later work from the UK pop scene – but again, the whole thing's a bit more down to earth, in a way that we really like. Titles include "Sad Nite In Boston", "This Time", "Jennifer", "Love", "Until We Meet Again", "Daisies For The 8th Of May", "Fizbee's Tavern", and "The Door's Unlatched". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Don't Howdy Doody On Me", "Crime Of The Century", and "Don't Cry Your Eyes Out".

A beautifully trippy album from the Danish scene of the late 60s – one that's as playful and psychedelic as you might guess from the cover! The tunes are all originals, and all sung in English – and have this great mix of jangle-pop and pop-psych elements that's totally great – clearly inspired by The Beatles in the post-Rubber Soul years, but also coming across with a more personal sort of charm as well – with styles that echo some of the best Hollies material of the period. Some tunes have great baroque backings, others are nice and stripped-down – and the whole thing's the sort of heavy winner that would have made much bigger waves had it gotten issued here in the US. Titles include "Hey Mr Flowerman", "Trusting Mr Jones", "In Every Hand", "Mrs O'Grady", "Nevertheless", "Little Mr So & So", and 'Hush". CD features two bonus tracks from singles – "You Ain't Going Nowhere" and "Open The Door Homer".

A tremendous debut from this overlooked late 60s group from the UK – a powerhouse that would later go onto fuel bigger groups like Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Uriah Heep! This initial outing has a surprisingly soulful feel at times – still very rockish in the presentation, but with a style that's still tipping out of the Brit beat group years too – so that even when things are freewheeling and almost progressive, you can still feel some bluesy undercurrents in the vocals and keyboards! John Glascock handles bass, Ken Kensley keyboards – and both sing as well, along with guitarist Joe Konas. Drummer Lee Kerslake completes the group – and titles include "Radio Show", "Farthing Man", "I Never Knew", "Towards The Skies", "Looking Glass", and "Candles Getting Shorter". 2CD set features the full original mono and stereo mixes of the album – plus bonus tracks that include "Somewhere In The Stree", "Baby's Rich", "Real Love Guaranteed", and a great cover of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog".

A deep and worthy first volume of unreleased Early Takes from George Harrison – one of most spiritually-minded people to ever become a rock & roll star – and here's some of his best songs stripped to the bare, real essentials! Firstly, we must say that this set does right by George and honors his legacy – compiled by Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George Martin), who was granted access to Harrison's personal tapes by Olivia Harrison and the family. Secondly, it's great to hear the songs in something of a root form, especially the ones that got the grand Phil Spector Wall Of Sound treatment back in the day! It's got demos and otherwise unheard versions of his best-known early solo material, and stripped down takes of some his later songs. Most of it centers around George's emotion-steeped vocals and acoustic guitars, with other stripped-down accompaniment, though nothing nearly as huge as Phil Spector's All Things Must Pass production. Includes demo versions of "My Sweet Lord", "Run Of The Mill", Dylan's "Mama You Been On My Mind", "Behind The Locked Door", "All Things Must Pass" and "The Light That Has Lighted The World", plus early takes of "I'd Have You Any Time", "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" and "Awaiting On You All".

Pure AM radio pop from the glory days of MGM! Pop impresario Tony Scotti was one of the harmony vocalists who comprised Heaven Bound – and he produced the album with a sweet sound that's part late Beach Boys, part 70s Four Seasons, and part LA electric soundtrack. The record's got some real charms, and plenty of breathy 70s pop song hooks. Includes versions of Neil Young's "On The Way Home" and The Beatles' "I Will" – plus "He'd Rather Have The Rain", "I Kept On Loving You", "Five Hundred Miles", and "Come Run With Me".

A great album from Willis Jackson – a real sleeper, and with a very groovy feel! Willis smokes with an organ combo that has Butch Cornell at the keys, and which also features Vince Corrao on guitar and Franklyn Robinson on trumpet. The tracks are a mix of originals and Beatles covers (believe it or not!), and Willis is in that playful mid-60s mode, where he's working with so much profiency on the tenor that he can take some groovy chances on the solos. The rhythm's got a great Cadet soul jazz vibe to it – and the album fits nicely with some of Jack McDuff's work on the same label. Titles include "Yesterday", "Hard Day's Night", "Goose Pimples", and "Doin' The Mudcat".

A garage pop monster from The Knickerbockers – a set that smokes from the start with their super-huge hit "Lies" – then grooves into a rowdy batch of groovers that almost have the feel of the early fab four at their best! Like The Beatles, the group definitely has a way of harmonizing along with their tunes – bringing in a sweetly melodic quality, even when rough around the edges – which makes for a great mix of sounds we can really endorse. Titles include "Lies", "Just One Girl", "Can't You See I'm Trying", "Wishful Thinking", "You'll Never Walk Alone", and "I Can Do It Better".

The most polarizing of John Lennon's post Beatles ouvre – the strident, Spector-produced, sprawling mess that is Some Time In New York City – a record that has too much of every idea John & Yoko had at the time, which makes it all the more fascinating after all these years! Angry, self-righteous and quite often brilliant – feminist anthems backed by Wall Of Sound pop, an ode to John Sinclair in the mold of a country rock tune – wild stuff from a superstar! Include "Woman Is The Ni**er Of The World", "Sister, Oh Sister", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Attica State", "New York City" and more.

A beautiful little record from singer/guitarist Bruce Lewis – a virtually unknown talent who worked in the northern Kentucky scene of the 80s, and who steps out here with a very unusual sound! Lewis sings with a nice touch of 80s augmentation – not commercial, but kind of electric – pushed into a level that sometimes adds vocal percussion next to his guitar, but in these warm ways that really reflect the intimacy of this self-released album. His guitar playing is great – mighty deft, but understated too – and with this spacious quality around the vocals that almost has Lewis going for a rougher-hewn version of the big George Benson recordings of the mid 70s. Other instrumentation includes percussion – both live and electric – and jazzy touches on tenor and keyboards too – but always used in ways that are more sparing than any mainstream music of the time. Titles include "The Beatles", "Tenor Madness", "Questar", "Your Love Is Here", "Maybe Tomorrow", and "Bay Street".

Early Brit pop from Jerry Lordan – best known as the songwriter of a host of hits for bigger artists in the pre-Beatles years – stepping out here in an album of his own! Jerry's a singer with a surprising degree of charm – not a full-on rocker, but more of an old school vocalist with a good ear for a punch tune – working here with arrangements from Johnnie Spence that show that great lighter side of the London sound at the time! Titles include "A House A Car & A Wedding Ring", "Man On My Trail", "Leave Me Alone", "I'll Stay Single", "Married", and "The World's Loneliest Man". CD also features 14 more bonus tracks – singles and demos that include "Can We Kiss", "Who Could Be Bluer", "Do I Worry", "Sing Like An Angel", "I've Still Got You", and "One Good Solid 24 Carat Reason".

A really cool record from the late 60s Spanish rock scene – done with a pop-ready simplicity, but accented with some gritty, garage psych touches too! Contrabando features a newer line-up of the group, after Juan Pardo and Antonio "Junior" Morales left the group to for Juan Y Junior (who were replaced by a couple members of The Shakers) – and the group succeeds with a mix of UK and US rock influences (the album was recorded in London) – a little bit of Byrds in the vocals, some Kinks-y angst and some Beatles psychedelic pop – without compromising their Spanish style one bit, particularly with some brass in the arrangements and the mostly Spanish language vocals. A real gem! Includes "Lola", "Pequeno Pajaro", "El Pasaporte", "Rapidamente", "The Train", "Nadie Te Quiere Ya", "Contrabando", "Big Temptation", "Soy Como Quiero", "Nunca Cambiaras" and more. CD features loads of bonus tracks too – a whopping 26 titles in all!

One of the coolest albums ever from the mighty Keith Mansfield – an arranger best known for his sound library work, but one who steps out beautifully here on a rare commercial album for CBS! The set's way more than just the batch of late 60s pop tunes that you might guess from the Beatles' reference in the title – as Keith really transforms most tunes with his hip approach to the grooves, and also manages to throw in a few gems of his own composition as well! The bottom of most numbers is plenty darn jaunty – funky at the best moments – and instrumentation includes some great Hammond and hard-edge piano lines that really send the tunes home. Titles include the killer "Soul Thing", used by Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill, and "Boogaloo" – both originals by Mansfield – plus the tracks "Everlasting Love", "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Moanin", "Walk On By", "Lovin Things", "Reach Out", "Rainbow Valley", and "Take Five". CD also features 8 bonus tracks that Keith arranged for Maynard Ferguson, Salena Jones, Love Affair and Alan Haven – including "Love For Sale", "Am I The Same Girl", "The Serpent", and "Soul Confusion".

Two Johnny Mathis gems from his years at Mercury Records – back to back on a single CD! Sweetheart Tree is a unique album – in that it represents some unusual London sessions from Johnny Mathis – material recorded in the UK with different arrangers than usual – including Tony Osborne, Alyn Ainsworth, and Allyn Ferguson – all of whom help give Mathis a slight change of flavor here! The new talents make for a fresh change – and the album also brings in a few US tracks too, with work by Glenn Osser and Lincoln Mayorga – on titles that include "Symphony", "The Skye Boat Song", "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Clopin Clopant", "This Is Love", and "I'll Close My Eyes". The Shadow Of Your Smile is a record that has the singer both hitting classic modes, and stretching out towards some of the hip changes in 60s music as well! The mix of tunes is very nice – with a few Beatles tunes, some bossa tracks, and a few more standard numbers to round out the mix – all arranged with some inventive rhythms by John Pisano, Glenn Osser, Jack Elliott, and Tony Osborne – in ways that make for a nice sense of variety throughout the record. Titles include a great reading of "The Shadow Of Your Smile" – plus "Quiet Nights", "Michelle", "Taste Of Honey", "Melinda", "Come Back To Me", "Something's Coming", and "Moment To Moment".

An early moment of genius from post-Beatles Paul McCartney – a solo set that's wonderfully diverse throughout – filled with the kinds of cool little twists and turns we loved in his late Beatles records, and in his 70s killers with Wings! There's a newly-emerging sweetness going on here – that great sound that started to emerge with the McCartney album – where Paul was a proud, put-together family guy – easily one of the most confident of his fab foursome, and able to bring an incredible amount of charm to just about any style he wanted to try! Some of the best cuts here are the mellower, more personal moments – still delivered with an amazing rock-solid sense of musicianship and production, too – and even the rockers, which might sound clunky in the hands of anyone else, manage to come off with a great deal of charm as well. Titles include the wonderfully playful "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – plus "Too Many People", "Heart Of The Country", "Dear Boy", "Ram On", "The Back Seat Of My Car", and "Smile Away".

An early moment of genius from post-Beatles Paul McCartney – a solo set that's wonderfully diverse throughout – filled with the kinds of cool little twists and turns we loved in his late Beatles records, and in his 70s killers with Wings! There's a newly-emerging sweetness going on here – that great sound that started to emerge with the McCartney album – where Paul was a proud, put-together family guy – easily one of the most confident of his fab foursome, and able to bring an incredible amount of charm to just about any style he wanted to try! Some of the best cuts here are the mellower, more personal moments – still delivered with an amazing rock-solid sense of musicianship and production, too – and even the rockers, which might sound clunky in the hands of anyone else, manage to come off with a great deal of charm as well. Titles include the wonderfully playful "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – plus "Too Many People", "Heart Of The Country", "Dear Boy", "Ram On", "The Back Seat Of My Car", and "Smile Away". 2CD version features some rare tracks and b-sides – including "Another Day", "Oh Woman Oh Why", "Little Woman Love", "Love For You", "Hey Diddle (Dixon Van Winkle mix)", "Great Cock & Seagull Race (Dixon Van Winkle mix)", "Rode All Night", and "Sunshine Sometime (earliest mix)".

Sugar sweet pop rock from Paul McCartney & Wings – much more adventurously arranged than most of McCartney's post Beatles releases, Wing-ed or not – and to our ears (and many others), it's also his best post-Beatles album! There's plenty of rave up rock & roll leading into to the sugary, un-shakable choruses, no doubt the secret weapon, but the songs are pretty great! Titles include "Band On The Run". "Bluebird", "Jet", "Mrs Vanderbilt", "Let Me Roll It", "Mamunia", "No Words", and the sublime "Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five".

Wild stuff – and very different than Gary McFarland's earlier albums! Today was recorded late in Gary's career, and is has him moving a bit away from jazz – into a more sunshine pop feel – one that still retains plenty of the bossa and breezy elements of his Verve work, but which also features a bit more vocals and a cool and groovy style overall! Gary's singing on most tracks – not just in his wordless and whistling mode, but also taking some of the lyrics more directly – delivering them with a hauntingly-recorded quality that makes the whole thing sound beautifully moody. The core group is still quite jazzy – and features Hubert Laws, Curtis Fuller, and Grady Tate – plus some light cello, guitar, and even a bit of percussion by Airto. Titles include "Suzanne", "My Cherie Amour", "Sombras De Saudade", "Berimbau", "Desafinado", "I Will Wait For You", and the Beatles' beautiful tune "Because", done in a great breathy style! Moody and beautiful, and proof that McFarland was one of the 60s true pop geniuses!

Smooth sailing with the legendary Freddie McGregor – and a pretty sweet late career cruise with a Jamaican musical legend! Breezy, easygoing and the right mix of contemporary and classic craft. Includes "Move Up Jamaica", a sweetly grooving Caribbean cover of The Beatles classic "You Won't See Me", "Africa", "Rainbow Country", "My Story", "There You Go", "Standing Strong" with "Love Ballad", "Jah Love Di Whole A Wi", "A House Is Not A Home", "Equal Rights" and more.

A seminal bit of funk rock from this well-connected group who bubbled under considerably during the late 60s and early 70s, but never seemed to cross over big. The best cuts on the album have a heavy funk sound, similar to the group's funky 45s – with the sax of leader George Patterson Jr firmly in the lead, and lots of sonic swells behind him on organ, guitar, and additional horns. The album features a good remake of The Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", plus the cuts "Try Our Thing", "Crabs", and "Tough Enough".

A nice one! The MJQ record for the Beatles' famous Apple label, and the album's one of their most interesting of the 60s! The production's pretty straight, but the group's playing in a cool open-ended style that still has elements of their earlier work, but which really makes things a lot more interesting than some of the Atlantic recordings. Milt Jackson's vibes have a bit more of a bell-like quality on some parts, and the rhythm team of Percy Heath and Connie Kay kick it with a soul jazz vibe on a few numbers – a nice change from the sleepier rhythms of earlier albums. Titles include "The Blue Necklace", "Exposure", "Jasmine Tree", and "Three Little Feelings".

One of the grooviest takes on The Beatles we've ever heard – served up by a hip group of LA players led by pianist Don Randi! The style here is very hard and percussive – more soulful and swinging than the original tunes on the Rubber Soul album, and often done with a tightly vamping set of rhythms that are halfway between instrumental soul and early funk! The rest of the players include the Hal Blain and John Clauder on drums, Julius Wechter on percussion, Tommy Tedesco on guitar, Gary Coleman on vibes, and Hal Gordon on congas – all coming together in a soulful blend that really transforms these tunes. The overall feel is a bit like other piano-heavy soul jazz groovers from the LA scene of the 60s – particularly the work of the Harold Johnson Sextet – and Randi's piano is recorded way upfront in the mix, really dominating the tunes with a strongly rhythmic quality. Titles include "Norwegian Wood", "It's Only Love", "Run For Your Life", ""Think For Yourself", "You Won't See Me", "The Word", and "I'm Looking Through You".

A really rich new chapter in the music of Otto – an artist we've loved right from the start, but one who's blowing us away all over again with this sweet set! There's a fullness here we've never heard from Otto – not a sound that's slick, just an approach that's more thought out and fully-composed – with some classic elements on the backings that take us back to 60s sounds from Beatles to Motown at times – yet served up in ways that all still retain the freshness of Otto's earlier work. Other sounds are a bit more contemporary, yet still have this feeling of timelessness that really stands out – something we might never have said about Ottos' music before. The electronics are kept to a minimum, and tunes are straightforward and less abstract – in a way we never expected, and which shows Otto to really be a great songwriter after all these years. The set was done with heavy collaborations from producer Pupillo, who co-wrote most tracks – and also features assistance from Kassin and Catatau too. Titles include "The Moon 1111", "Dia Claro", "Ela Flava", "O Que Dira O Mundo", "DP", "Hideus", "Miss Apple E Ze Pilantra", and "Selvagens Olhos Nego".

Like the Beatles? Like jazz? Then here's a record for you! Don Randi plays tunes from Revolver – our personal favorite Beatles album – and he makes them swing with a hip 60s LA groove, often changing the rhythmic style of the songs to create a whole new groovy sound. Don plays piano, organ, and electric harpsichord – and the arrangements, inspired by (but not credited to) Jack Nitzsche, are sublime – as groovy as groovy can be for this sort of record! Titles include "She Said She Said", "Good Day Sunshine", "Love You To", "For No One", "I Want To Tell You", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and a surprisingly funky version of "Taxman"!

Articles, reviews, interviews and comics covering the history of Rock, punk, soul and hip hop on television. The main feature is an exhaustive, critical episode guide to every episode of Behind The Music. Also features interviews with 60s garage band Daughters Of Eve, Snoop Dogg, King Diamond, Eddie Shaw of The Monks, Cannibal Corpse, Art Fein, Jim Peterik of The Ides of March and Marv Wolfman of Marvel Comics. Plus Hanna-Barbera, The Goodies, The Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis and much more.

A landmark album of electric piano grooves from Hysear Don Walker – the keyboardist on some of Young-Holt Unlimited's best albums! This album's much more in a jazz vein than some of the Young-Holt titles – with Walker playing electric keys on slower funky numbers that burn along at a sweet Kudu or CTI-styled pace – kicking back and letting the keys really open up as the tunes progress – putting equal emphasis on rhythm and solo space as Walker goes for the groove in an amazing way! All tracks are originals, save for one nicely placed Beatles cover – and titles include "Hydel", "Fat Flower, Skinny Stalk", "Durham Queen", "Inner Face", and "Jade Silhouettes".

A surprisingly solid and fairly ambitious score from Patrick Williams – who really seems to work well with director Richard Lester! Butch And Sundance –The Early Days is, you guessed it, a prequel of sorts to Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid – which set the bar pretty darn high a decade earlier, both cinematically and musically. We can't speak for the film, but the score works! Film director Richard Lester is most famous for directing The Beatles in A Hard Day's Night and Help – and he seems to welcome quirky and adventurous musical scores. Williams delivers! It's got a great, folksy main theme and an adventurous vibe overall, with playful horns and strings, some sparer moments and more dramatic orchestrations when necessity calls. The CD includes both the final complete film score – and as a bonus, the original/alternate version. 30 tracks in all. Titles include "Rustlers", "The Arrival", "The Parting", "OC Dies", "The Really Big Train Robbery" (Parts 1, 2 and 3), "The Final Victory (End Credits)" and more.

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"