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Peter Gabriel-era Genesis at their finest – with the amazing "Supper's Ready"!

Don't mix these guys up with the bigger-name Genesis – because this combo doesn't feature Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel – and instead is an American group from the late 60s that works in a sweetly melodic approach to psychedelia! Some tunes are heavy on the fuzz, with guitars right out front – but others have a slightly more baroque style that befits the group's image on the cover – little bits of woodwind and cello that sweeten the tunes nicely. But it's really the heavier guitars that make the record great – played sharply, and with great focus – sounding especially nice alongside some of the sweeter female vocals. Titles include a roaring 16 minute track titled "World Without You", plus shorter numbers like "Angeline", "Ten Second Song", and a version of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne".

Hard to go wrong with the insanity of this one! The record broke the bank of Genesis, but really allowed Peter Gabriel to trip out nicely as his swan song to the band.

Songs from Wind & Wuthering sessions – recorded in 1977 before guitarist Steve Hackett's departure.

Amazing sounds from Genesis – a cool Colombian group who blend folkloric elements with psych styles, all in a sound that's completely unique! The group have a really haunting mix of wood flutes and guitars – underscored by a bit of organ and rootsy percussion, and woven through with some harmonized vocals that bring a nice sort of sweetness to the sound! Things are pretty earthy throughout – almost equal parts folk and psych, but very different than any American efforts of this type – and the whole thing almost feels as if Manuel Of The Mountains caught Os Mutantes in a playful mood one day, and they all sat down to work together in the studio. Titles include "Sebastian", "Que Sientes", "Raquel", "Alegre Pescador", "Tu Y Tus Frutos", "Un Dia", "Plena Como La Luna Llena", and "Los Amantes Son Eternos".

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".

Titles include "Illegal Alien", "Taking It All Too Hard", "It's Gonna Get Better", "Home By The Sea", "That's All", and "Mama".

A brilliant session from trumpeter Charles Sullivan – a player who's only recorded a handful of dates as a leader, all of them great! This album's got a unique history, in that it was issued both by the Inner City and Strata East labels in the 70s – and overall, it's got a vibe that's right up there with the best Strata East sets of the time – thanks to help from a wonderfully hip lineup that includes Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals, Stanley Cowell on piano, Sonny Fortune on alto sax, and Billy Hart on drums! With a lineup like that, it would be hard to miss – but Sullivan also manages to round the players up into a sound that's really unique, too – very much his own musical vision, with a great balance between sensitive moments, and boldly righteous statements. Other players include L Sharon Freeman on electric piano, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – and titles includes the great jammer "Field Holler", plus the tracks "Now I'll Sleep", "Genesis", "Goodbye Sweet John", and "Evening Song".

Amazing sounds from the SF scene of the 70s – previously unreleased work that really opens up a whole new chapter of jazz on the west coast! The HE3 Project is the brainchild of keyboardist Herman Ebertizsch – who plays lots of Fender Rhodes and moog on this sweet little record – really driving some amazing lines for a wickedly soulful group that also features Coke Escovedo on timbales and Linda Tillery and Johnny Lovett on vocals! Supposedly, these sessions were the genesis of the groove that Escovedo later laid down on Mercury Records – but the sound here is a lot more open-ended and funky – a beautiful combination of jazz and soul elements, put together in ways that are quite different than any other Bay Area acts of the time. Titles include "Rapture Of The Deep", "Funk Punk", "Appreciation", "Life Is A Tortured Love Affair", "Make It Sweet", "We All Have Our Own Lives", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", and "Easy Come Easy Go".

Incredible tabla funk from Shawn Lee and his Incredible Tabla Band – inspired by both classic drum breaks and Indian tabla and sitar-flavored psych funk – a full on covers set of the landmark Bongo Rock album (and more) by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band in this mad mode! The genesis of this album was simply Lee's desire to cover the standout track "Apache", but, Shawn isn't the kind of artist to stick a toe into a project – nope, he goes right off the conceptual deep end, putting his own creative stamp on music that's proudly adherent to whatever the classic inspiration. It's especially amazing here – what could have been a mere novelty covers album of what you could argue was originally something of a novelty album (novel, though furiously creative and influential) is perhaps the most brilliant moment of Shawn Lee's career-to-date! Drum and percussion heavy genius that helped form the blueprint of hip hop – fused with buzzing and thumping Indian funk-styled grooves – pure genius from Shawn Lee with Prithpal Raiput on tablas, Andy Ross on saxes & flutes, Dom Glover on trumpet and Mick Talbot on Hammond. Includes "Let There Be Drums", "Apache", "Bongolia", "Last Bongo In Belgium", "Dueling Bongos", "Inna Gadda Da Vida", "Raunchy '73" and "Bongo Rock '73" – all covers from the original 1973 version of the Bongo Rock album – plus "Sing Sing Sing" and "Pipeline" from the '74 follow up.

An obscure late 60s rock opera – but a pretty great one too, and a set with some rougher, more soulful moments than Hair, Oh Calcutta, or any of its contemporaries! The instrumentation here is really great – almost in a Melvin Van Peebles mode at times, with basslines that step around in odd, almost skittish rhythms – and guitar bits and keyboards that get funky, but often in a way that's kind of quirky. Vocals are by both the authors, as well as actor Joe Morton and Yolande Bavan – the latter of whom makes one of her few rare appearances on record after working with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks! Tracks themselves have a definite Hair influence – slightly hippieish, but a bit more soulful – and produced here by Nik Venet with a style that lets in plenty of the "space" that made similar contemporaneous projects at Capitol so great. Titles include "Salvation", "1001", "Honest Confession Is Good For The Soul", "Ballin", "For Ever", "Deadalus", "Let's Get Lost In Now", "Back To Genesis", and the hit "If You Let Me Make Love To You Then Why Can't I Touch You".

A brilliant portrait of the mid 70s NYC improvisation scene by the Music Ensemble – a collective featuring Billy Bang on violin, William Parker on bass, Roger Baird on drums, percussion and flute, Malik Baraka on trumpet and Daniel Carter tenor, alto, flute and percussion! The pieces generally start with a roomy, measured dynamic and grow in intensity, never really getting too intense, and showcasing the intuitive interplay with the players. As Chicago residents, we can really feel the genesis of the later sounds of this city's improv scene, but the style casts a pretty wide net of influence. Baird's archival tapes supplied the material for this CD, and the tracks includes 2 long pieces – the 31+ minute "Stance Dance (Courage)" recorded in April of 1974 at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn with bass by Herb Kahn, and the 18+ minute "Arithmetical Mystic" from a February 1975 date at NYC's Holy Name School Auditorium. The other pieces, "Echoes Wind Transpire" and "Radiatory Fineness", a from the February '75 date.

A hell of a trumpeter – making his debut here on one of the grooviest albums on the legendary Latin Percussion label! The session's a bit fuller than some of the other LP albums – a crackling blend of jazz, funk, and Latin rhythms – warm, but with some pretty complicated moments, very much in the best spirit of the second wave of NuYorica grooves! There's still lots of the tight percussion that makes Latin Percussion sessions so great – but the record also features fuller instrumentation too – in ways that really make things soar. Players include Eddie Martinez on Fender Rhodes, Jon Faddis and Randy Brecker on additional trumpets, Steve Khan on guitar, and Carlos Patato Valdez on congas – and Ruben Blades even plays a bit of acoustic guitar on the record. The overall feel's a bit like some of the great Fania/Columbia co-productions – but a bit rawer at points – and titles include "Diana", "Genesis", "Nice & Warm", "Viva Martinez", "I Know", "Hot Blood", and "Perico" – most of which are separated by short percussion interludes!

An unusual albums from the west coast scene of the 50s – recorded under the name of the Lighthouse All Stars, but featuring arrangements and compositions by Bob Cooper – who was the real driving force behind the set. Conte Candoli's in the group on trumpet – and other players include Buddy Colette and Bud Shank on alto and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Victor Feldman on vibes and percussion, Stan Levey on drums, and Cooper himself on tenor. The overall sound is relatively tightly constrained, in a "jazz suite" mode – but there's plenty of room for solo space on the set, and Cooper's writing is as fluid as his ability is strong to bring these players together as conductor. The set's got a really great feel that gets way past some of the more academic west coast work of its sort – with a lot more soul than you'd expect. Titles include "Rain Blues", "Genesis (pt II)", "Architectonics", "Directional Suite", and "The Worker".

Sean Price moves in for the knockout! Includes "Genesis Of The Omega", "Bar-Barian", "Pyrex", "Price & Shining Armour" feat Ruste Juxx, "Straight Music", "Hush", "Solmon Grundy" with Ill Bill, "Frankenberry" with Buckshot, "BBQ Sauce" with Pharoahe Monch, "By The Way" with Torae, "The Hardest N***a Out" and more.

An excellent set of some fairly out material – performed by Shorter with a group that includes Freddie Hubbard, Grachan Moncur, James Spaulding, Herbie Hancock, and a rare appearance by his brother Alan on flugelhorn! At times, the record builds into a sound that's freer and more challenging than on some of Shorter's other albums from the time – but it does so in more of the "new thing" mode that you'd hear on records from the time by Jackie McLean or Moncur, with an overall sense of purpose that really keeps the message clear. Features all original compositions by the Shorter brothers – and cuts include "Chaos", "Face Of The Deep", "Mephistopheles", and "Genesis".

Some of the darkest, most bracing music ever recorded by Throbbing Gristle – and a record that arguably captures the group at their best! The sounds here are virtually the blueprint for industrialism for years to come – loads of low-end sonic rumblings, with instrumentation distorted beyond any sense of recognition – yet used in ways that are often slightly tuneful, kind of sneaking in a sense of song through the back door – that odd combination that always made TG stand way ahead of most of their contemporary imitators! Genesis P is incredibly chilling, and the analogue electronics are breathtaking – and titles include the classic "Slug Bait", in a few different live iterations – plus "Maggot Death", "Industrial Introduction", and the soundtrack of the Coum film "After Cease To Exist". Still one of the all-time chilling classics!

Subtle brilliance from Caetano Veloso – just the sort of record to still remind you what a genius he can be, even when he's not hitting you over the head with his music! The style here is relatively straightforward MPB, but still done in a way that's head and shoulders above just about anyone else – songs that have a presence and personality that goes way beyond a simple understanding of language – and which crackle with wonderfully warm vocals from the maturing Caetano. Any sense of softness is more than supported with a deep amount of spirit – and the album's beautifully intimate feel throughout. Titles include the track "Sina", sung with Djavan, "Surpresa", written with Joao Donato, and the tunes "Genesis", "Sonhos", "Meu Bem Meu Mal", and "Trem Das Cores". Newly remastered version – with a great die-cut booklet, designed like the original album cover!

The game-changing Def Jam classic from the mid 80s – and still possibly the greatest album by the Beastie Boys – even though they'd grow up a whole lot after this! The Beasties later distanced themselves from much of the attitude of this album, and you can't fault the Boys for maturing. Their genesis from stoopid (as opposed to stupid) to thoughtful and playful innovators is as impressive as just about any artistic evolution we can think of, but that doesn't make these party anthems any less amazing! With all the killer cuts you remember – "Rhymin & Stealin", "The New Style", "Girls", "Fight For Your Right To Party", "No Sleep Til Brooklyn", "Paul Revere", "Hold It Now Hit It", "She's Crafty", and more.

A beautiful book that documents the overlooked legacy of Brion Gysin – contemporary and collaborator of William S Burroughs and other important beat figures – but also an artist with a vision that goes way beyond that initial moment! The book brings together a wealth of images of Gysin's creations – his paintings, photos, printed work, and even instructions for building your own version of his legendary dream machine – alongside historical details on Brion and key moments of his life, plus reflections on his importance by John Giorno, Genesis P Orridge, and others. A hefty museum book – 196 pages, full color, and hardcover!

The game-changing Def Jam classic from the mid 80s – and still possibly the greatest album by the Beastie Boys – even though they'd grow up a whole lot after this! The Beasties later distanced themselves from much of the attitude of this album, and you can't fault the Boys for maturing. Their genesis from stoopid (as opposed to stupid) to thoughtful and playful innovators is as impressive as just about any artistic evolution we can think of, but that doesn't make these party anthems any less amazing! With all the killer cuts you remember – "Rhymin & Stealin", "The New Style", "Girls", "Fight For Your Right To Party", "No Sleep Til Brooklyn", "Paul Revere", "Hold It Now Hit It", "She's Crafty", and more.

Amazing sounds from the SF scene of the 70s – previously unreleased work that really opens up a whole new chapter of jazz on the west coast! The HE3 Project is the brainchild of keyboardist Herman Ebertizsch – who plays lots of Fender Rhodes and moog on this sweet little record – really driving some amazing lines for a wickedly soulful group that also features Coke Escovedo on timbales and Linda Tillery and Johnny Lovett on vocals! Supposedly, these sessions were the genesis of the groove that Escovedo later laid down on Mercury Records – but the sound here is a lot more open-ended and funky – a beautiful combination of jazz and soul elements, put together in ways that are quite different than any other Bay Area acts of the time. Titles include "Rapture Of The Deep", "Funk Punk", "Appreciation", "Life Is A Tortured Love Affair", "Make It Sweet", "We All Have Our Own Lives", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", and "Easy Come Easy Go".

The instrumentals created to compliment Elzhi of Slum Village's tribute to Nas's monumental Illmatic – made by Detroit funk combo Will Sessions! This is an homage that works, really, really well. The Will Sessions backdrops – doing it up recognizably, but with their own touches – and the action is transported to a modern, though reverent Detroit funk realm. Includes "Genesis", "Detroit State Of Mind", "Halftime", "Memory Lane", "The World Is Yours", "Represent", "Life's A Bitch", "One Love" and "It Ain't Hard To Tell".

A sprawling collection of classic Fania – featuring a pretty adventurous set of salsa, boogaloo, Afro-Latin, funkier numbers and all around incredible material put together by our friends at Strut Records – going beyond the classics! It features numbers by many of the most iconic names on Fania – Johnny Pacheco, Joe Bataan, Ray Barreto, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentin, Hector Lavoe and more – loosely chronicling the stylistic genesis at Fania during the time period, but compiled with an ear to the dancefloor rather than academia. A great set of classics on an uber-iconic label, put together by one of our favorite contemporary labels! 19 tracks on the 2LP version: "Dakar, Punto Final" by Johnny Pacheco, "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Anacaona" by Cheo Feliciano, "Quimbara" by Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco, "Bomba Carambomba" by Sonora Poncena, "Pedro Navaja" by Willie Colon & Ruben Blades, "Cuando Despiertes" by Fania All Stars feat Celia Cruz and more.

Sean Price moves in for the knockout! Includes "Genesis Of The Omega", "Bar-Barian", "Pyrex", "Price & Shining Armour" feat Ruste Juxx, "Straight Music", "Hush", "Solmon Grundy" with Ill Bill, "Frankenberry" with Buckshot, "BBQ Sauce" with Pharoahe Monch, "By The Way" with Torae, "The Hardest N***a Out" and more.