... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic start to the second chapter of Roxy Music – a time when the group was stripped down to a trio, and almost seemed to arise as a way to answer the newer music that was coming up from all the younger groups that Bryan Ferry had influenced with his work in the 70s! Things aren't as weird and wild as at their start, but the instrumentation is impeccable – thanks to guitars from Phil Manzanera and saxes from Andy MacKay – and an approach that has the group bringing in some key other players from track to track, expanding the sound but never going too far. The vibe is a bit like the feel of some of Bryan Ferry's best solo work from the years before – but more Roxy-like too – and still head and shoulders above anything the new romantics had to offer. Titles include "Same Old Scene", "Flesh & Blood", "My Only Love", "Oh Yeah", "No Strange Delight", and "Running Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic start to the second chapter of Roxy Music – a time when the group was stripped down to a trio, and almost seemed to arise as a way to answer the newer music that was coming up from all the younger groups that Bryan Ferry had influenced with his work in the 70s! Things aren't as weird and wild as at their start, but the instrumentation is impeccable – thanks to guitars from Phil Manzanera and saxes from Andy MacKay – and an approach that has the group bringing in some key other players from track to track, expanding the sound but never going too far. The vibe is a bit like the feel of some of Bryan Ferry's best solo work from the years before – but more Roxy-like too – and still head and shoulders above anything the new romantics had to offer. Titles include "Same Old Scene", "Flesh & Blood", "My Only Love", "Oh Yeah", "No Strange Delight", and "Running Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A double LP – one side of studio material, one recorded live! Studio tracks include "Green Onions", "Diary Of A Lover", "In Cold Blood", and "Just Another Girl". Live tracks include "Too Much Junkie Business", "Sad Vacation", "Louie Louie", "Do You Love Me", and "10 Commandments". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

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

A major label set, but one that stays very true to the new ideals that James Blood Ulmer was trying to bring to jazz guitar at the time – a really revolutionary style that moves beyond simple genre conventions, and embraces a whole world of new ideas that would inspire others in the decade to come! Ulmer plays with a real frenzy at points – deep currents that reflect the bluesy touches of his early work in jazz organ combos, but given a skittish energy that reflects his association with the downtown crowd – and which was very fitting for his record with Rough Trade! The core group here features James, bassist Amin Ali, and drummer G Calvin Weston – and some tracks feature work from David Murray on tenor, Oliver Lake on alto, and Olu Dara on trumpet. Titles include "Timeless", "Pleasure Control", "Night Lover", "Happy Time", "Rush Hour", "Stand Up To Yourself", and "High Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Ulmer records, probably because there's a nice groove running underneath most of the numbers, in a sort of post-Prime Time 80s out-funk sort of way. It never drops into a flat out back beat, but there's always some sense of time, while Ulmer's guitar and Charles Burnham's violin venture to and fro. The group is just a trio, and there's not too much of Blood's vocalizing going on on the eight pieces, which include "Little Red House", "Are you Glad To Be In America", "Election" and "Odyssey". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The record that really broke the White Stripes out of the box – a set that was recorded as an indie, then later got wider circulation around the globe – as a fantastic demonstration of the raw, back-to-basics energy that made the duo such a standout in contemporary rock at the start of the century! All these many years later, there's still a sense of power that has the group rivaling some of the bigger garage punk legends of the past – on titles that include "Dead Leaves & The Dirty Ground", "Hotel Yorba", "Fell In Love With A Girl", "I Think I Smell A Rat", "Now Mary", "We're Going To Be Friends", "Expecting", "I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman", and "The Same Boy You've Always Known". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Sunglasses After Dark, Guana Batz, Brilliant Corners, Stingrays, Boneasaurus Rex, Milk Shakes, The Vibes, Meteors, Bananamen, The Very Things, Sickidz, Tall Boys, Turkey Bones & The Wild Dogs, King Kurt, Bluberry Hell Bellies, and Turnpike Cruisers. LP, Vinyl record album

Very righteous work from the legendary catalog of Studio One – material that includes some early reggae numbers mixed with later roots numbers – served up here with a few unreleased tracks as well! Studio one might be known for more soul-based reggae from the late 60s/early 70s, but the tracks here showcase a much deeper current in the label – proof that although Clement Dodd released plenty of his productions during the long career of the company, there's still a lot to be discovered in the vaults! Unreleased tracks include "We're Gonna Climb" by Alton & Zoot, "Hooray" by Wailing Souls, "Rasta Footprints (12" mix)" by Vicedroys, "Afrikan Blood (take 2)" by Judah Eskender Tafari, and "King Alpha (take 2)" by Dennis Lovelock – and the set features unreleased stereo versions of "I Was born A Free Man" by Al & Freddy, "Drought" by Simms & Robinson, and "I Am Free" by The Gaylads" – plus the tunes "Send Another Moses" by The Willows" and "Justice & Peace" by Rodley Brissett. LP, Vinyl record album

Very righteous work from the legendary catalog of Studio One – material that includes some early reggae numbers mixed with later roots numbers – served up here with a few unreleased tracks as well! Studio one might be known for more soul-based reggae from the late 60s/early 70s, but the tracks here showcase a much deeper current in the label – proof that although Clement Dodd released plenty of his productions during the long career of the company, there's still a lot to be discovered in the vaults! Unreleased tracks include "We're Gonna Climb" by Alton & Zoot, "Hooray" by Wailing Souls, "Rasta Footprints (12" mix)" by Vicedroys, "Afrikan Blood (take 2)" by Judah Eskender Tafari, and "King Alpha (take 2)" by Dennis Lovelock – and the set features unreleased stereo versions of "I Was born A Free Man" by Al & Freddy, "Drought" by Simms & Robinson, and "I Am Free" by The Gaylads" – plus the tunes "Send Another Moses" by The Willows" and "Justice & Peace" by Rodley Brissett. LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo set from tenorist Binker Golding – an artist we usually hear on the Gearbox label as part of the Binker & Moses combo, but who maybe sounds even bolder and stronger here in the lead on his own! The set's a quartet date, with a relatively straight group – but the sound is wonderful – overflowing with new ideas, and this sense of voice from the leader that gets fantastic support from Joe Armon-Jones on piano, Daniel Casimir on bass, and Sam Jones on drums! Nobody's pushing too hard, or trying any tricks – yet there's a freshness and individual spirit to the record right from the very first note – unusual rhythms from the trio, and more confidence in Golding's sound than we've ever heard before. Titles include "Skinned Alive Tasting Blood", "Fluorescent Black", "You That Place That Time", "And I Like Your Feathers", and "Exquisite She Green". LP, Vinyl record album

Their first LP, foretelling the shape of things to come out of Atlanta, alongside Southernplayalistic. . .with "Cell Therapy", "Blood", "The Coming", "Free", "Dirty South", "Thought Process", "Soul Food" and "Goodie Bag". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set from the Italian scene of the 70s – one that features very hip vocals from the great Shirley Bunnie Foy, set to lean instrumentation that makes the whole thing nicely different than just a standard jazz vocal session! Shirley plays percussion next to her vocals, and the set features some mighty nice organ and piano from Sonnie Taylor – plus added percussion by a third player too, all with a vibe that makes for some really unusual tracks that have the piano and percussion dancing around with a loose, open vibe – which Shirley is only happy to explore with these vocals that unravel in a completely wonderful way – all sorts of personal inflections that groove with the rhythms, in a unique style that goes way past jazz – maybe with some of the righteous energy of Nina Simone at her hippest! Titles include "Go Down Moses", "Way O Comin Home", "Ulele Angolian Blood", "Gershwin/Summertime", "When Sunny Gets Blue", and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent group harmony work from this long-running ensemble – a set of tracks that includes "Count Your Blessings", "There's Power In The Blood", "The Harvest Is Past", "Beams Of Heaven", "I Love To Call His Name", and "Sunshine Always Follows Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Life Itself", "Baltimore Oriole", "Teardrops", "That Which I Have Lost", "Writing's On The Wall", "Hong Kong Blues", "Blood From A Clone", and "Save The World". LP, Vinyl record album

The crowning achievement of the legendary Keith Hudson – a landmark album of instrumental dub that started out in very small circulation, but soon grew to become one of the most important albums of the genre! The sound here is spare, stark, and simple – but in the best way possible – as Hudson takes the music right down to its core, yet seems to create even more powerful flow in the process – revising the 60s Jamaican love of American soul into a more cosmic mode for the next decade – but all with a raw approach that makes each element come across with a great deal of focus. Titles include "Black Heart", "Pick A Dub", "Don't Move", "Blood Brother", "Michael Talbot Affair", "In The Rain", and "Satia". LP, Vinyl record album

Jiro Inagaki's definitely in the groove here – hitting hard with a sweet electric vibe, on a set that's easily one of his funkiest albums ever! The set's got a wicked mix of jazz and funk that's right up there with the best on 70s CTI or Kudu – but maybe even leaner overall, given the focused nature of the tunes – and their strongly rhythmic approach! Jiro's on both tenor and soprano sax, and also handles arrangements with Norio Maeda – and the set's especially heavy on Fender Rhodes and electric bass, carved up nicely by sweet guitar lines that almost have a Joe Beck sort of sound. Many tracks are originals, and all are definitely in a tight 70s mode – really stepping forward from some of the more formative funky years of Jiro's previous albums. Titles include "Joie De Vivre", "Crazy Medicine", "That's How I Feel", "Blue Blood", "Raven Speaks", and "Samba Chimba". LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the hokey pun in the title, as the album's a sharp-edged set that has way more going on than that bad wit might imply – a brilliant record that has the same sort of post-loft vibe as some of the best Black Saint/Soul Note sessions from the time! The group here features players who worked on many of those records too – the mighty Billy Bang on violin, sounding incredible, and so different than generations of others touching that instrument in jazz – sharp, soulful, and almost "blown" more like a saxophone! Frank Lowe's tenor follows with a similarly bold voice – and the group features very urgent work on bass from Rafael Garrett and drums from Dennis Charles. Titles include great readings of Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus the tracks "Loweology", "Ballad With One L", and "Blood On The Cross". LP, Vinyl record album

DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns – some longtime inherent to everyday racial, social, and class struggles in American life, and others that are purely personal. The production is diverse to a degree, but a bit straight forward compared to the sprawling, years-in-the-making To Pimp A Butterfly – all by design, as DAMN! is clearly made to sound fresh and urgent right now. But like all great musical art, it's built to stand the test of time. Includes guest producers, musicians and vocalists as varied as Thundercat, U2, Kamasi Washington, Kid Capri and Rihanna. Titles include "BLOOD.", "DNA.", "YAH.", "ELEMENT.", "LOYALTY." feat Rihanna, "PRIDE.", "LUST." with strings arranged by Kamasi Washington, "XXX." feat U2, "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH." LP, Vinyl record album

DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns – some longtime inherent to everyday racial, social, and class struggles in American life, and others that are purely personal. The production is diverse to a degree, but a bit straight forward compared to the sprawling, years-in-the-making To Pimp A Butterfly – all by design, as DAMN! is clearly made to sound fresh and urgent right now. But like all great musical art, it's built to stand the test of time. Includes guest producers, musicians and vocalists as varied as Thundercat, U2, Kamasi Washington, Kid Capri and Rihanna. Titles include "BLOOD.", "DNA.", "YAH.", "ELEMENT.", "LOYALTY." feat Rihanna, "PRIDE.", "LUST." with strings arranged by Kamasi Washington, "XXX." feat U2, "FEAR.", "GOD." and "DUCKWORTH." LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful modernist work from Kenton – one of the first albums to cull his genius together as a whole, filled with the kind of tracks that perfectly sum up his unique approach at the time! If you've ever wondered what makes Kenton so great, this is the album to begin with – as it's filled with fantastic original tunes that provide a shimmering solo showcase for work of players like Lee Konitz, Frank Rosolino, and Bill Holman. Titles include "23 N - 82 W", "Young Blood", "Improvisation", and the haunting "Invention For Guitar And Trumpet", which features Sal Salvador and a young Maynard Ferguson. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the undisputed UK maestros of lovers rock during the 80s – producer Neville King, who serves up this totally sweet batch of overlooked gems from the time! The groove is nice and mellow – that fantastic blend of contemporary soul and reggae rhythms that really took hold in London and other UK spots from the late 70s onward – perfect for slow-stepping in the more laidback hours of a party, or chilling out back home on your own! Singers on all these tracks are great – nicely understated, but plenty soulful – and titles include "What About Me" by Blood Sisters, "Lady Lady" by One Blood, "At The Dance" by Leroy Simmonds, "It's Love That Makes A Woman" by Karen Dixon, "They Don't Stay Long" by Unique, "Open Up The Door" by Charisma, "The Day Will Come" by The Sadonians, "Love Sweet Love" by Love & Emotion, and "Not My Baby" by The Sensations. LP, Vinyl record album

A 90s album from the farther reaches of the Wu-Tang empire – a set that still shares some qualities with the core members' solo efforts, but which also maybe stands apart more in the tone of MC La The Darkman! The rapper ended up in Atlanta, and there's a quality here that maybe hints at that move in his music – harder and more street-styled than most of the Wu-related projects – trying to tell it like it is from the grass roots, but reveling in that experience as well. Production is by Havoc, Carlos Broady, Rza, 4th Disciple, and DJ Muggs – and guests include Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Havoc, and DJ Rogers. Titles include "Lucci", "Shine", "City Lights", "What Thugs Do", "Heist Of The Century", "Fifth Disciple", "Spring Water", "Street Life", "Figaro Chain", "Polluted Wizdom", and "Wu-Blood Kin" LP, Vinyl record album

A sonically sensitive session from Oliver Lake – recorded in the mid 70s, in very relaxed quartet formation! Lake plays a range of reeds here – alto, soprano sax, and flute – and the group features lots of musings on guitar from Michael G Jackson, a player we don't know at all, but one who seems to have a harmelodic bent at some points, and a much more mellow one at others. Jackson's presence on the record really has a big impact on the sound – putting it somewhere in a space between James Blood Ulmer and Sonny Greenwich – and remaining rhythms are handled by Fred Hopkins on bass and Paul Maddox on drums and percussion. Titles include "Trailway Shake/Sad Lo-uis", "Usta B", "Ballad", "Machine Wing", and "Holding Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Scientist spins out on a dub-driven power boat – scanning the swamps to drive out the vampires and a host of other ghouls too – all while reinventing Jamaican music in the process! The record's filled with lots of cool electric elements – those weird production effects and electronic doodles that make the music of Scientist so revolutionary – especially when spun out over a still-familiar backdrop supplied by Roots Radics, with a core essence that's very much from the pre-digital world of Jamaican music. Rhythm tracks were done at Channel One, and Scientist mixed the set at King Tubbys – a host of dub mini-masterpieces that include "The Voodoo Curse", "Dance Of The Vampires", "Blood On His Lips", "Cry Of The Werewolf", "the Mummy's Shroud", "The Corpse Rises", "Night Of The Living Dead", "Your Teeth In My Neck", "Plague Of Zombies", and "Ghost Of Frankenstein". 2LP version features a full bonus record of vocal versions – by Wailing Souls, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne, and Michael Prophet! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most triumphant records from the first wave of Wu Tang Clan solo efforts – and an early 90s hip hop masterpiece that's hardly aged a day since! Tical is right up there with Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) on the quality front. It's got the iconic Wu production aesthetic in peak form, and Meth himself does an incredible job here of not only cementing the Wu Tang's legacy, but setting himself up to be the Clan's breakout solo success story for years to come. Includes "Tical", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", "What The Blood Clot", "Meth Vs. Chef", "Biscuits", "I Get My Thang In Action", "PLO Style", "Sub Crazy", "Release Yo' Delf", the killer "Method Man (Remix)" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Voo Doo", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown"," Will The Circle Be Unbroken", "Healing Chant", "Wild Injuns", "Wake Up", "My Blood", and "Yellow Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of an odd album, but one that showed the Stones were alive and kicking in the 80s. Taking off from the Stones' take on disco from their previous couple of LPs but keeping a nice rough edge on the proceedings, Jagger and Richards turned in what's probably their last great studio LP. 10 tracks in all, including "Undercover Of The Night", "She Was Hot", "Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love)", "Wanna Hold You", "Feel On Baby", 'Too Much Blood", "Pretty Beat Up", "All The Way Down" and "It Must Be Hell". LP, Vinyl record album

The title on this one says it all – Mojo Rocksteady Beat! The Brentford Road big timers come correct on this explosive Soul Jazz revisitation of their 100% Studio One dynamite tracks! The names of the heavies that rotated through this bunch are already well known: Jackie Mittoo, Vin Gordon aka Don D Junior, Deadly Headly Bennet, Ernest Ranglin, Leroy Sibbles, and more, and the jams here are no less well known, whether it is on their own, or as the mad, soulful rhythm foundation for any of Coxsone's top numbers. 18 earth shaking blasts of Jamaican soul, including "Rockfort Rock", "Funky", 'Real Rock", "Reggae Time", "Mojo Rock Steady", "Drum Song", "Ironside", "Heavy Rock", "In Cold Blood", "Jamaica Underground", "Reggae Time", "Great Mu Ga Ru Ga", and of course, "Mojo Rock Steady". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the principal albums in trip hop's ascension into the mainstream, and the bright, extroverted flipside to Portishead's darker vision of the late 90s scene. Mo Wax honcho James Lavelle's longstanding Unkle project got a massive makeover when DJ Shadow became the prime sonic architect for the Psyence Fiction LP. Shadow throws everything but the kitchen sink into the thing, working with a wide range of vocalists and collaborators from hip hop innovators (Kool G Rap, Mike D) to whiny alternative rockers (Richard Ashcroft, Thom Yorke). With a project as busy as Unkle, the law of subjectivity pretty much dictates that you're gonna love parts, and hate parts – but Shadow was so on top of his game at the time, he somehow manages to hold it all together. It may not be his best ever work, but Psyence Fiction certainly holds up, and it's an essential piece of the puzzle! Tracks include "Main Title Theme", "Guns Blazing", "Blood Stain", "Unreal", "Chaos", "Rabbit In Your Headlights", Lonely Soul", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funk from the Belgian scene of the 70s – a really mad mix of sounds and styles, and a really revelatory set overall! Few people might use the words "Belgium" and "funk" in the same sentence – but that may well change after this sweet set gets a few spins – as the whole thing's a stunning array of groovers that not only match the best jazz, funk, and sound library tracks from other European scenes in the 70s – they also do a great job of taking on the best America had to offer too! Belgium was no stranger to soul and funk – given its fervent 60s soul collectors scene, and the nation's role as a crossroads in Europe – which left it open to plenty of influence from visiting musicians, including American artists as well. You can definitely hear all that coming into play here – as the work is nicely fresh, and very free of overdone cliches or easy references – as these guys all take the best bits that might have influenced them, and jumbled them up into something really new. The scope of sounds is wonderful – and titles include "Funky Tramway" by Mad Unity, "Sunshine Star" by Open Sky Unit, "Gimme Some More Of That" by Plus, "Funky" by Andre Brasseur, "Avenue Louise" by Black Blood, "Music & Co" by Les Helions, "Balek" by Placebo, "Librium" by Chicken Curry & His Pop Percussion Orchestra, "Top Less" by Alex Scorier, "Stories" by Chakachas, and "Ostinato Bass" by Rene Costy. LP, Vinyl record album

Ron Geesin's a British arranger with a host of amazing talents – from early work in the exotica field, to a famous collaboration with Roger Waters – always handled with a mindblowing sense of sound and scope! Here, he delivers a superb score for the film Sunday Bloody Sunday – a dark-themed drama that's given backing by Geesin that's maybe even more illuminating than the images on the screen at times – as Ron captures a moody vibe in perfect ways, but also changes things up a fair bit instrumentally – which makes each new selection feel very different, even though they are unified in mood. Bridget St John sings on the track "Chemical Dreams", and plays guitar on "Motoring Sparkle" – and other titles include "Intriguing Cables", "Sky High Balloons", "Piccadilly Bustle", "Blitzful Memories", and "Affections For String Quartet". Plus, the LP also features great bonus tracks from other Geesin projects – four more tracks from a 1985 documentary on Viv Richards, and six more from a 1970 documentary on mental health, titled "Shapes In A Wilderness" – both a great match for the main score. LP, Vinyl record album