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A classic doo wop from this overlooked group!

A beautiful collection of early 30s newspaper strips penned by Floyd Gottfredson – early daily comics starring Mickey Mouse, but offering up a very different version of the character than on the screen! The format does a great job of tying Mickey to some of the other comic stars of the time – and as many of these strips are in a longer-form narrative mode, with as much adventure as humor, there's more parallels here to strips like The Gumps, Gasoline Alley, and Thimble Theater than you might expect. Gottfredson's line work is wonderful – clean and lean, with that edgey early version of Mickey that disappeared later on – presented here in sparkling black and white, in a hardcover volume that's almost 300 pages in length! Also features bonus essays – and some color material too.

An amazing album – and a really unique slice of the underground of jazz in the 60s! The session was put together in 1963 by Walt Dickerson, and was conceived as an attempt to draw attention to the incredible amount of great jazz players who were then currently serving time in prison for trumped-up drug charges. The players were culled from New York's Riker's Island, and the mix is a strange and wonderfully surprising blend of musicians that includes Hope, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Philly Joe Jones, and Earl Coleman. The quality of the work and writing is superb, and not only is the record a high point in Hope's all-too-short career, but it also features some excellent non-Sun Ra work by Gilmore! Titles include "One For Joe", "Three Silver Quarters", "Kevin", "Trippin", and "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream".

An amazing album – and a really unique slice of the underground of jazz in the 60s! The session was put together in 1963 by Walt Dickerson, and was conceived as an attempt to draw attention to the incredible amount of great jazz players who were then currently serving time in prison for trumped-up drug charges. The players were culled from New York's Riker's Island, and the mix is a strange and wonderfully surprising blend of musicians that includes Hope, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Philly Joe Jones, and Earl Coleman. The quality of the work and writing is superb, and not only is the record a high point in Hope's all-too-short career, but it also features some excellent non-Sun Ra work by Gilmore! Titles include "One For Joe", "Three Silver Quarters", "Kevin", "Trippin", and "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream".

A real classic from Jeff Lorber – the kind of record that crossed-over immediately, and had a huge influence on so many different scenes! The style is smooth sweet fusion – of a sort that Lorber virtually helped invent, and so many others helped to ruin in later years – but here, things are clean and lean, very focused on the groove – and coming off with a really soulful sound! There's a great mix of acoustic and electric keys that really makes the album cook – giving it a two-dimensional feel that really comes off nicely on every tune – and the core lineup includes Lorber on keys, plus electric bass, drums, and saxes. Titles include "Wizard Island", "Lava Lands", "Shadows", "City", "Rooftops", and "Can't Get Enough".

A tome to the legacy of Island Records – the pretty amazing journey of a record label that began with the goal of bringing reggae to the masses – and in it's heyday, grew to be home to some of the most creative artists in modern pop music of sprawlingly broad styles! From Bob Marley to U2, Roxy Music, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, PJ Harvey, Tricky and so many more! Includes a preface by Chris Blackwell, and this book is quite beautifully illustrated. . .lots of full color photography, album art and more. 222 pages.

Here's the real deal – a totally cool collection of all-classic Jamaican ska tracks from the mid 60s – with no revival cuts, no remakes – just the core original grooves! The quality of the work here is tremendous – a rocking, romping approach to soul music that really shows the Jamaican sound starting to fall into place – often handled by singers and musicians who'd break even bigger in the later reggae years, but who have a raw brilliance here that's even more compelling! The track list is wonderful – and the set is a hell of a deal at this price – with tracks that include "One Eyed Jacks" by Jimmy Cliff, "JFK's Memory" by Don Drummond, "The Sun Rises In The East" by Dotty & Bonnie, "Catch A Fire" by Baba Brooks & His Band, "Do You Keep On Dreaming" by The Cherry Pies, "Choo Choo Ska" by Llans Thewell & The Celestials, "Parro Saw The Light" by Lloyd Clarke, "The Jerk" by Derrick Harriott, and "Dragon Weapon" by The Skatalites.

Tropical funk, hazy rhythms, and simmering Afro funk & soul from the Caribbean – a killer collection put together by Hugo Mendez– fantastic stuff from Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent and beyond! Tropical Funk Experience does a great job of pulling together the a diverse set of funky sounds – with lots of funk that carries both JBs and Afro funk styles, harder grooving and more tripped out sounds, and reggae – with tropical versions of funky standards, and even more numbers that are totally fresh to our ears. Titles include "Spouge Explosion", "Let Me Get Stoned" by Boo & The Tru Tones, "Take The Funky Feeling" by Blue Rhythm Combo, "Cissy Strut" De Boys En Dem, "Fugitive Dub" by Skatalites, "Basa Bongo" by Yoruba Singers, "Smokey Feeling" by The Organization"," New Bag" by The Exciters, "Jive Samba" by Llans Thelwell And The Celestials and more.

Key tracks from a really important time in Jamaican music – the wonderful rocksteady years of the late 60s, when the Kingston crowd were really coming with a unique groove of their own! The music here isn't really reggae, but kind of a rougher precursor – and one that still shows plenty of influence from American soul of the time – albeit the deeper, more laidback styles that were having an undeniable influence on Jamaica. Production is wonderful – often dark and echoey, but not yet dubby – and titles include "Live It Up" by The Natives, "Over & Over Again" by Stranger & Gladdy, "Will You Ever Be Mine" by Delroy Wilson, "On A Saturday Night" by Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, "Lip & Tongue" by The Viceroys, "Somebody's Baby" by Pat Kelly, "Do It Now" by The Consomates, "Leaving On That Train" by Keith & Tex, "Red Bum Ball" by Lloyd & Devon, and "Gypsy Woman" by The Uniques.

A lost treasure! This set features 9 unreleased tracks recorded by Houston Person during the height of his jazz funk years for Prestige – one track with a group that includes Billy Butler on guitar, Ernie Hayes on organ, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet – the other eight tracks with a Latin-tinged group that includes Hank Jones, Jimmy Ponder, Victor Paz, Jerry Gonzalez, and Nicky Marrero. The Latin backings work surprisingly well for Person, whose cutting style on the tenor works against the grooves in a great way – and the use of Latin rhythms makes for a slightly different mode, but one that's every bit as soulful as his other work. Titles include "Theme From Baxter", "St Thomas", "Waking Up Alone", "Montuno Merengue", and "Nemo".

Some of the biggest singles by British reggae giants Aswad! Don't Turn Around his pretty heavy with material from the mid-to-late 80s period – when they were at a commercial peak – blending Lovers Rock and were crossing over in a major way. Breezy, easygoing stuff – plus some great rootsier material, too. Includes "Don't Turn Around", "Back To Africa", "How Long" feat Yazz, "Three Babylon", "Fire" with Shabba Ranks, "Set Them Free", "Rainbow Culture", "Chasing For The Breeze", "Beauty's Only Skin Deep", "Shy Guy" with Easther Bennett and more.

One of our top 10 dub albums of all time! This album bridges the gap between the the low-fi, down and dirty excursions of the 70's dub era, and the later high tech dub revolution brought on by On-U, Mad Professor and Jah Shaka. The rhythms here are all first rate, drawn mostly from their Chill Out LP with a few from Red, fueled by Sly and Robbie and a cast of regulars from the Island/Mango stable. Sly & Robbie also handle the production duties, and there's no shortage of fat grooves and unrelenting rhythms, then taken to the next level with deep space echo drops and 21st century sound effects and tape edits. Includes "Ion Storm", "Big Spliff", "Boof'N'Baff'N'Biff", "Puffed Out" and "Android Rebellion". This CD reissue's been newly remastered, with 3 additional dubs as bonus tracks: "Cool Off", "Destination Unknown" and "Fire & Brimstone".

One of our favorite Black Uhuru albums, when they'd fully matured as a group under the production of Sly & Robbie, with a tight modern reggae sound that few other groups could match from that era. Heavy, heavy grooves saddled with the trios potent lyrics and harmony vocals, including the massive "Youth Of Eglington" and "Sponji Reggae", plus "Puff She Puff", "Rockstone", "Carbine", "Utterance", "Journey" and "Sistren". This CD reissue's been remastered, and adds the discomix version of "Sponji Reggae" and non-album track "Trodding" as bonus tracks.

The follow up to the burning Showcase set and second LP finding the harmony trio of Michael Rose, Puma Jones and Duckie Simpson under the heavy guidance of Sly & Robbie. While it didn't produce as many singular hits as the preceding set or the following Red LP, this album's still solid from top to bottom, with mighty, might Taxi productions grooves throughout. 10 tracks in all: "Happiness", 'World Is Africa", "Push Push", "There Is Fire", "No Loafing (Sit & Wonder)", "Sinsemilla", "Endurance" and "Vampire", plus the added bonus tracks "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (discomix)" and "Sinsemilla (discomix)", and newly remastered too!

Nick Drake's second album, and a fantastic batch of jazz-tinged folksy tracks that's virtually unlike anything else ever done on this planet! The compositions are amazing, and Drake's execution of the material is masterfully produced by Joe Boyd, who brings out all the rich tonal qualities of the music. Drake's work is impossible to describe adequately, but if you've ever heard him, you probably stopped dead in your tracks the minute you first caught his voice. We still do the same – and it's a pleasure to have this one in stock! Titles include "Fly", "At The Chime Of A City Clock", "Hazy Jane", "Poor Boy", and "One Of These Things First".

A crucial record that introduced most folks to Nick Drake in the early 80s – a cool compilation drawn from his first 2 Island albums – and pretty darn rare! Tracks include "Cello Song", "Northern Sky", "Three Hours", and "Fly".

Paid In Full, indeed. Eric B & Rakim's seminal album still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of what was then the new school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise it's due! If you don't respect this album, you don't know a damn thing. Includes the immortal "I Ain't No Joke", "Eric B Is In The Cut", "I Know You Got Soul", "Move The Crowd", "Paid in Full", "Chinese Arithmetic", and "Eric B. Is President" plus 2 bonus tracks: "As The Rhyme Goes On (radio)" and "Paid In Full (mini madness – Coldcut rmx)".

A real lost chapter in the career of singer Georgie Fame – mid 70s material recorded for Island Records! The sound of Fame during these years is a bit of an extension of his previous work at Columbia – not really the jazz or R&B of his roots, and more a complicated blend of hip pop modes, all inflected with some of the Jamaican sensibilities you might expect from Island – yet never in a way that's too cliched, or a silly pop take on reggae. Instrumentation is often a bit laidback and stripped-down – and there's a fair bit of organ and electric piano in the mix, both instruments that help bring out the hipper qualities of Georgie's vocals, and set him up nicely for the 70s.

Classic work from Gwen Guthrie – a tight batch of keyboard-heavy cuts that sparkles with a strong 80s groove! Deodato's at the helm on production, and he clearly helps direct the sound of the set – giving it some of the sharpness and focus of his other 80s soul productions – and a heavy dose of keyboards that gets back to his own work in the 70s. Gwen's vocals are still the main attraction here, though, and they sound especially great on some of the mellower-thumping tunes with a midtempo groove! Titles include "I Gotta Have You", "Love In Moderation", "Just For You", "Thrill Me", "Feel It No More", "Oh Donny No", and "Put Love In Control".

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair".

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)".

Great skittish grooves from Hi Tension – a key British dancefloor group from the late 70s! "British Hustle" is much more jaunty than American cuts with a hustle groove – almost a Jamaican influence somewhere in the rhythms, but topped with soaring chorus vocals that have an Earth Wind & Fire feel! "Searchin" has a bit of an EWF feel too – bright horns over tightly funky rhythms that are really great!

One of the greatest jazz rock albums to come out of the British scene at the end of the 60s – a record that's filled with tight changes, bluesy overtones, and some wonderfully choppy moments – all played by a legendary lineup that includes Terry Smith on guitar, John Healing on organ, and Dick Morrissey and Dave Quincy on saxes and flute! Healing sings on a number of the tracks, but the vocals never dominate too much – and instead often let the instrumentation really take center stage, showing off the group's chops at their progressive best. Titles include some great long groovers like "What Did I Say About The Box, Jack?", "What Can A Friend Say", and "The Promised Land" – as well as shorter numbers that include "I'm Reaching Out On All Sides", "Woman Can You See", and "Raise The Level Of Your Conscious Mind". CD features 2 bonus tracks – 7" versions of tunes on the album!

An irresistible classic from Miles Jaye – possibly his best-known album, bouncing along with plenty of beats at the end of the 80s! The rhythms are plenty programmed, but Miles' vocals provide a great warm sense of contrast – soaring out with fluid, mature tones that are mighty nice, especially on some of the mellower cuts! Miles produced and arranged himself – and titles include the classic "Heaven", plus "Slo Dance", "Message", "Neither One Of Us", "Objective", "Next Time", "I'll Be There", and "Love In The Night". CD features bonus tracks – "Heaven (celestial club mix)", "Heaven (highway to heaven mix)", "Objective (club mix)", and "Objective (sax mix)".

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer".

A landmark little record from Grace Jones – a set that started off as one of those "hey, let's see if this model can sing" sort of records – but which has gone onto become an enduring classic! Most of the tunes are older ones, but they're remade with a soaring Sigma Sound groove by the best in Philly – taking sometimes-cloying lyrics and pushing them into hipper disco territory for the 70s – all with that odd wink and subtle sense of irony that would emerge more clearly in Jones' later records. Tom Moulton produced and mixed, and titles include "I Need A Man", "La Vie En Rose", "Sorry", "Tomorrow", "What I Did For Love", and "Send In The Clowns".

Funky b-boy classic! Sure, Malcolm was a blood-sucking vampire who was hungry enough to exploit any trend he could get his hands on – but in this case, he did all right, and came up with an album that stands the test of time in the breakdance crates. Includes the classics "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch".

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there's also a more globally-expansive vision here too – partly the tight production on the music, partly the warm feelings that ebb and flow throughout the entire set – a vibe that's very different than American soul, and which has turned out to be surprisingly encompassing over the years. Titles include "Is This Love", "Running Away", "Kaya", "Satisfy My Soul", "Easy Skanking", "Sun Is Shining", "She's Gone", "Misty Morning", "Crisis", and "Time Will Tell" – plus this reissue adds "Smile Jamaica" as a bonus track.

A great collection of work from Bob Marley – put together as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, but a set that works equally well as a rich introduction to his music! There's a handful of classics here, but also some nice lesser-remembered tunes too – and the package includes a fair bit of live recordings, which make up almost a third of the 2CD collection! Titles include "Small Axe", "Concrete Jungle", "Work", "Crazy Baldhead", "Corner Stone", "Judge Not", "Stir It Up", "Simmer Down", "Natty Dread", "Trenchtown Rock (live)", "One Love", "Could You Be Loved", "High Tide Or Low Tide", "Redemption Song", "I Shot The Sheriff (live)", "War (live)", "No Woman No Cry (live)", "Exodus Dub (Kindred Spirit dub)", 'Three Little Birds", and "Real Situation".

A full length collabo from Nas & Damien "Jr Gong" Marley – who've worked together in the past on a track two – and overall it's a win that goes well beyond simple hip hop/dancehall fusion! The duo samples Mulatu, collaborate with K'Naan , Dennis Brown, Stephen Marley and others, and bring global dramatic sweep and and timeless funk to Distant Relatives that ends up working better as an eclectic whole than you may have suspected! Titles include "As We Enter", "Tribes At War" feat K'Naan, "Strong Will Continue", "Leaders" feat Stephen Marley, "Count Your Blessings", "Nah Mean", "Patience", "Africa Must Wake Up" feat K'Naan and more.

One of Nico's darkest albums – and the kind of record we always suggest to those who doubt her genius! The incredibly spare set has Nico playing harmonium, which makes for a spooky off-kilter sound that really gives the record a somber approach – especially as the instrument sounds a heck of a lot like her voice – very dark and moody, with lots of offbeat tones! Nico also gets some hip help, too – as the set features Brian Eno on keyboards, and production by John Cale – who also plays a huge variety of odd instruments too. Titles include a sublime 9 minute reading of The Doors' "The End", one that makes the original seem like candy floss – plus the tracks "Secret Side", "Innocent & Vain", "Valley Of The Kings", "We've Got The Gold", and "It Has Not Taken Long". Great 2CD version features a bonus disc of rare live material from radio and TV performances – including "Das Lied Der Deutschen", a previously unreleased cut from the June 1st 1974 sessions – plus "Janitor Of Lunacy", "Secret Side", "We've Got The Gold", "The End", and "You Forgot To Answer" from unreleased Peel Sessions – and "Valley Of The Kings" and "Secret Side" from unreleased Old Grey Whistle Test performances!

One of the biggest moments of the New York club scene of the early 80s! The Peech Boys cut their teeth at the Paradise Garage during the classic Larry Levan years – and this album has them working with Levan to forge a record of crossover club grooves filled with linn drum beats and DMX riffing – all produced with a warmly soulful vibe that's classic Levan all the way through! The album's got a groove that mixes together bits of electro street soul with fuller, richer rhythms that are almost a precursor some of the mainstream house of years to come. Titles include a version of the group's classic "Don't Make Me Wait", plus the cuts "Love Kills Pain On Contact", "Life Is Something Special", and "On A Journey". Keith Haring cover, lots of positive vibes, and a lot easier to take seriously than the Village People!

Blacksmith handled the remix and extra production work for this single – giving the track a nice strong London groove, circa 1990, which is about the best vintage we can think of!

One of those British sessions from the early 70s that mix African grooves with British prog rock, in a mode that's similar to some of the Ginger Baker albums from the same time. Percussionist Anthony Reebop Kwaku Baah sings on the whole record, but the real strength comes from the ensemble backing him up, who have a good talent for mixing elements of funky rock – like organ, piano, flute, and drums – into grooves that would be a lot more rootsy without them. The drummer's the strongest force on the record, and he gives the best cuts a very strong kick that produces some good funky moments. Titles include "Kye Kye Kule", "If You Want To Go", "Silly Boy", and "Meda Mena".

One of the greatest steel band records ever – and a hip hop sample classic from way back! Sure, there were other hip steel bands back in the 70s – but nobody else ever got as far as 20th Century – ending up on a major label, cutting some key funky covers, and crossing over with their massive "Heaven & Hell" – a cut that was DJ Red Alert's theme song in the old days! The group have a wonderful sound – mixing familiar steel band modes with bits of American funk – and creating a unique hybrid that's way more than just reworked covers, or simple copycat styles. In addition to the classic "Heaven & Hell", the set also features versions of "Love's Theme", "Shaft", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" – plus the cuts "Lazy Days", "Endless Vibrations", "No 1", "Never Keep Secrets", "We've Got To Work Together", and "Dance Away". CD also features a bonus 7" edit of "Heaven & Hell".

One of the greatest steel band records ever – and a hip hop sample classic from way back! Sure, there were other hip steel bands back in the 70s – but nobody else ever got as far as 20th Century – ending up on a major label, cutting some key funky covers, and crossing over with their massive "Heaven & Hell" – a cut that was DJ Red Alert's theme song in the old days! The group have a wonderful sound – mixing familiar steel band modes with bits of American funk – and creating a unique hybrid that's way more than just reworked covers, or simple copycat styles. In addition to the classic "Heaven & Hell", the set also features versions of "Love's Theme", "Shaft", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" – plus the cuts "Lazy Days", "Endless Vibrations", "No 1", "Never Keep Secrets", "We've Got To Work Together", and "Dance Away".

Excellent compilation of Disco Not Disco style new wave tracks, on the awesome Ze imprint, with a great meeting of downtown new wave and disco sensibilities. 6 tracks in all: material "Busting Out", Was (Not Was) "Wheel Me Out", Christina "Drive My Car", Gichy Dan "Cowboys & Gangsters", Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rumba Band "Deputy Of Love" and Coati Mundi "Que Pasa/Me No Pop I".

The third and tightest of Ade's albums for Island. The sound here is a hybrid of his Ju Ju style with a bit of Afrobeat thrown in, with Tony Allen guesting on one number. The percolating multi-guitar and talking drum sound that was Ade's signature keeps the set gliding along nicely. 6 longer numbers in all: "Gboromiro", "Oremi", "Ire", "Iro", "Ogunja", and "Ase".

Fantastic stuff – and still sounding pretty fresh today! This is the first e.p. of tracks from Art of Noise, a groundbreaking set of sound collage tracks that mixes samples, beats, and dada instrumentation into a groove that definitely set the tone for the next 10 years. The record includes the original mix of their spacey stepper "Moments In Love", plus the hard funky "Beat Box", and the cuts "Comes & Goes", "The Army Now", and "Battle".

We've never really been sure if this is a compilation of earlier stuff, or some re-recordings that were put together for Island in the 70's. Whatever the case, though, it's a terrific set of tracks featuring Jorge's husky soulful voice, and a nice set of funky samba arrangements. Tracks include "Paz E Arroz", "Oba, La Vem Ela", "Apareceu Aparecida", and "Errare Humanum Est".

The follow up to the crucial Marcus Garvey set, and the second collaboration between Burning Spear and producer Jack Ruby. While the earlier Studio One sides are truly great, the work of the group (still a harmony vocal trio) at this point took the next step to classic status. Essential stuff, including the mighty title track, plus "No More War", "People Get Ready", "Groovy" & "Black Soul".

A landmark in Jamaican soul and one of the albums that helped break reggae onto the world stage. A nice, nice selection of early '70's reggae, mostly performed by Jimmy Cliff, but with a few equally wonderful numbers by the Maytals & Desmond Dekker, too. Includes classics like the Maytals' "Pressure Drop" and Cliff's "You Can Get It If You Really Want It", "Rivers Of Babylon", "The Harder they Come", and "Sitting In Limbo".

Funky uptempo grooves from Manu Dibango, recorded on the heels of the success of his big "Soul Makossa" hit – and with a similar approach to the funk. The record's a bit more produced than Soul Makossa – with less of the hard funky cuts that were on that one, and more of the fast beating drum sound that you'd find in the big hit. There's some excellent instrumentation, though, not only on Manu's great sax work, but also on the guitar parts, which mix very well with the album's electric keyboards. Includes the cut "Big Blow", which was a bit of a hit, plus "Baobab Sun 7", "Afrovision", "Aloko Party", and "Dakar Streets".

A pretty strong set of some of the more essential DJ Shadow – and one that smartly digs past the more obvious selections to include some great single edits, deeper mid- and later-era Shadow gems, one of the stronger Shadow-era UNKLE cuts and other leftfield choices! That said, there's some straight up essential DJ Shadow classics here, too – and it's well paced, to boot. If you don't already own most of Shadow's catalogue, you probably need this! Includes "Midnight In A Perfect World", "High Noon", "I've Been Trying", "This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way", "You Can't Go Home Again (Radio Edit)", "Scale It Back (Radio Edit)" feat Little Dragon, "Listen" feat Terry Reid, "Stem (Single Edit)", "Six Days", "Won't You Be", "Lonely Soul (7" Version)" with Richard Ashcroft, "Blood On The Motorway", "You Made It" with Chris James and "Redeemed".

A beautiful treasure from the legendary Nick Drake – the last album he ever recorded – and a set that may well be his most personal as well! The sound here is even more stripped-down than before – often just vocals and acoustic guitar, but used together in ways that are really unique – inflected with lots of the jazzy phrasing that always made Nick so unique – and light years from any of the folkies who were his contemporaries! There's a very special Drake-like approach to the whole record – a heavenly sound that's never been duplicated again – and titles include the classic "Pink Moon", plus "Place To Be", "Road", "Parasite", "Ride", and "From The Morning".

A great set of arty pop, or intellectual rock, or post glam whatever you feel like calling it – a completely unique record all the way through! The set is one of Eno's classics from the 70s, with his wry take on music and lyrics, and a nice dark edge to the proceedings. Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera figures heavily in the band, and the 10 tracks here are about as great as anything you'll find on another record issued that year – including "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More", "Back In Judy's Jungle", "The Fat Lady Of Limbourg", "Mother Whale Eyeless", "The Great Pretender", "Third Uncle", "Put A Straw Under Baby", "The True Wheel", "China My China", and "Taking Tiger Mountain".

A great lost roots albums from the underrated I Jah Man Levi. At the cusp of the 80s he appeared poised to achieve the level of dominance over the Jamaican scene like Burning Spear held in the early 70s, only to leave us with a few monumental recordings and then labor quietly for the rest of his career. Contrary to the style of most reggae LPs, this album features longer tracks – extended devotional roots numbers, crisply produced by Ijahman and Geoffrey Chung, mixed by Karl Pitterson. 5 numbers in all: "Are We A Warrior", "Moulding", "The Church", "Miss Beverly", and "Two Sides Of Love".

Mid 90s Isleys – with some songs written by Angela Winbush, who also produces – as does R Kelly on a few numbers too! Includes "Floatin On Your Love", 'Whenever You're Ready", "Let's Get Intimate", their cover of Simply Red's "Holding Back The Years" and 6 more.

One of our favorite Wailers LPs – as solid a statement as Marley had made, and to our ears, the finest moment of his later career. The album features classics like "Natural Mystic", "Three Little Birds", "One Love/People Get Ready" and the excellent, driving title track.

Later Marley on Island, not our favorite stuff, but it plays well with the tourist crowd. Granted, there are some nice moments here, so we shouldn't get too down on it. Includes "Chant Down Babylon", "Buffalo Soldier", "Mix Up, Mix Up", "Blackman Redemption" and "Trench Town", 10 track s in all.

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there's also a more globally-expansive vision here too – partly the tight production on the music, partly the warm feelings that ebb and flow throughout the entire set – a vibe that's very different than American soul, and which has turned out to be surprisingly encompassing over the years. Titles include "Is This Love", "Running Away", "Kaya", "Satisfy My Soul", "Easy Skanking", "Sun Is Shining", "She's Gone", "Misty Morning", "Crisis", and "Time Will Tell". 2CD version features the bonus track "Smile Jamaica (version)" – plus 13 more tracks recorded live in Rotterdam in 1978 – "Jamming", "No Woman No Cry", "I Shot The Sheriff", "The Heathen", "Positive Vibration", and "Exodus".

A later effort from Robert Nesta Marley, though nowhere near past his prime. By this point in his career a lot of purists were criticizing Marley for crossing over too far, but there is no shortage of either conscious lyric and intent, nor heavy, rootsy rhythms here. The hit was "Roots, Rock, Reggae", but cuts like "Crazy Baldhead","Rat Race" and "Night Shift" hit just as hard. Also includes "Positive Vibration", 'Who The Cap Fit", "Cry To Me", "Johnny Was" and "Want More". This reissue includes and 11th bonus track, "Jah Live".

The mothership has landed! While attempting to make a definitive compilation of all of Scratch's productions would take well more than 3 CDs, this set does a fine job of touching on important highlights and unearthing a few hidden gems, from the fertile Black Ark period. 55 tracks in all, with a fat 52 page book with extensive notes and loads of great photos, we'll let the exhaustive track list speak for itself: Max Romeo "One Step Forward", "War In A Babylon", "Chase The Devil" and "Norman", Devon Irons "Vampire", the Heptones "Sufferer's Time", "Mr. President" with Jah Lion, "Why Must I (version)" with Lee Perry and "Make Up Your Mind", Junior Dread "Sufferer's Heights", The Congos "Don't Blame On I", "Feast Of The Passover" and "CongoMan", The Meditations "Much Smarter", "Life Is Not Easy", and "No Peace", Junior Murvin "Tedious", 'police & Thieves", "Bad Weed" and "Roots Train" with Dillinger, Mikey Dread "Dread At The Mantrols", Errol Walker "In These Times", "John Public" and "John Public (version)" with Enos Barnes, Glen DaCosta "Magic Touch", Jah Lion "Soldier & Police War", Raphael Green & Doctor Alimantado "Rasta Train", Augustus Pablo "Vibrate On", The Upsetter Review with Junior Murvin "Closer Together", Keith Rowe "Groovy Situation", George Faith "To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)", Lee Perry "Dub Revolution Pt. 1", "Dreadlocks In Moonlight", "Soul Fire", "Curly Locks" and 'Roast Fish & Cornbread" and The Upsetters "One Step Dub", "Vamp A Dub", "Sufferer's Dub", "Much Smarter Dub", "Life Is Not Easy Dub", "Revelation Dub", "In These Times Dub", "Grumblin' Dub", "No Peace Dub", "Party Time pt. 2", "Vibrator", "Bird In Hand", "Dyon Anasawa" featuring Full Experience, "Rastaman Shuffle", "Groovy Dub" and "Corn Fish Dub".

We love Sly & Robbie – really we do. And while they were responsible for many of the toughest rhythms ever laid to wax, they did cut their share of material that hits nice and hard, but may not be as sublime as their finest and fattest. While on paper this Bill Laswell produced session that finds the Rhythm Twins meeting up with an all star cast including Rammellzee, Bernie Worrell, Henry Threadgill and D. St. among others, it somehow manages to result in a sum that's that's less than the combination of all the dope parts. But you could do a lot worse, and we're guessing if you heard any of these 6 tracks in a different context, you might well consider it the heat: "Fire", "Boops (Here to Go)", "Let's Rock", "Yes We Can Can", "Rhythm Killer" and "Bank Job".

Swamp's 6th album – and one that shows him firmly moved from indie soul to territory that was more appealing to the white hipsters who were his audience for much of the 70s. Tracks are a mix of blues themes and political ones – handled in a mixture of ersatz funk and weak blues – the kind of sound that must have gone over great with the college kids at the time. There's a few decent southern soul moments – thanks to production at Broadway Studios, in Sheffield, Alabama – and titles include "God Ain't Blessing America", "When He Was No One", "I Wanna Lifetime Of Loving You", "I Wouldn't Leave Here To Go To Heaven", "Chewed UP Grass", and "The Mind Does The Dancing While The Body Pulls The Strings".

Not nearly as great as some of their other bigger crossover hits, but still a solid album of soulful harmonies over pop reggae grooves. Titles include "Stay", "Arise", "Visit From Mozambique", "Uptown Rebel", "Stand Up On Your Own Two Feet", and "Give A Little Something".

One of our favorite Black Uhuru albums, when they'd fully matured as a group under the production of Sly & Robbie, with a tight modern reggae sound that few other groups could match from that era. Heavy, heavy grooves saddled with the trios potent lyrics and harmony vocals, including the massive "Youth Of Eglington" and "Sponji Reggae", plus "Puff She Puff", "Rockstone", "Carbine", "Utterance", "Journey" and "Sistren". This CD reissue's been remastered, and adds the discomix version of "Sponji Reggae" and non-album track "Trodding" as bonus tracks.

Titles include "Talking Of The End", "Cosmic Boy", "Adam & Eve", and "Here Till Here Is There".

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones – a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help from Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Wally Badarou on keyboards – and most tunes have an edgier feel that makes Jones sound even darker than before. There's loads of great disco-not-disco moments – from the straight funk of "Pull Up To The Bumper" to the insane post-punk grooving of "Demolition Man" – to other tracks that include "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)", "Art Groupie", "Walking In The Rain", "Nightclubbing", and "Use Me".

Features the title track, "D'Ya Like Scratchin'" in a special version, "She's Looking Like A Hobo", "Buffalo Gals (DJ Cut Special Stereo mix)", "World's Famous (Radio ID)" and "Hobo (Scratch)".

One of our favorite Wailers LPs – as solid a statement as Marley had made, and to our ears, the finest moment of his later career. The album features classics like "Natural Mystic", "Three Little Birds", "One Love/People Get Ready" and the excellent, driving title track "Exodus". The 10 tracks of the original LP also include "So Much Things To Say", "Guiltiness", "The Heathen", "Jamming", "Waiting In Vain", and "Turn Your Lights Down Low".

While we're not big on career retrospective best of's, especially artists like Marley, whose been collected over & over, this is actually a respectable set, and the vinyl's pretty darn hard to get ahold of anymore. Includes tons of classics, like "Get Up Stand Up", "Exodus", "Stir It Up", "Easy Skanking", "Is This Love", "No Woman No Cry", "Could You Be Loved", "Three Little Birds", "Buffalo Soldier", "One Love/People Get Ready", "I Shot The Sheriff", 'Waiting In Vain", "Satisfy My Soul" and "Redemption Song".

Marley's last studio LP, this effort shows there was no letting up, either in his political stance or fiery songwriting. With the solid original rhythm section of Family Man & Carlton Barrett and the beautiful backing harmonies of the I-Three's, this set includes classic takes of "Redemption Song", "Could You Be Loved", "Bad Card", "We & Dem" and "Coming In From the Cold".

Titles include "Rock & Roll Stew", "Rainmaker", "Many A Mile To Freedom", "Hidden Treasure", and "Light Up Or Leave Me Alone".

The classic tribute to DJ's that's been sampled by more people than we can count, and the laidback production style still holds up today.

A classic disco stormer from Grace Jones – recorded at Sigma Sound with a real Philly groove, thanks to arrangements from John Monster Davis – and produced with a full, soaring sound from the legendary Tom Moulton! The set may well be Grace's true club classic from the late 70s – a record that works both on the quirky levels of her early rise to fame, and on the more soulful expectations mainstream clubgoers had at the time – a beautiful balance that owes plenty to the input from Davis and Moulton! Titles include "Do Or Die", "Pride", "Fame", "Below The Belt", and "Am I Ever Gonna Fall In Love In New York City".

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer".

The great first album by Traffic – one of the best debuts by a British group in the late 60s! Better remembered as Mr. Fantasy, the album has a bit of a confusing release history. This excellent CD version features the album as it first appeared in the US – including the brilliant singles and in the rare mono mix. The punchy, direct vibe of the mono version is wonderful, but however you may prefer to hear it, the artistry is indisputable! There's still plenty of psych pop in the mix, colorful songcraft with a bluesy rock undercurrent. Capaldi, Winwood and Wood are most prominently credited, as Dave Mason hit the road after the singles, but since those are included on this early US version, let's show him some love, too! The organ and a driving rhythm are prominent, with flute and trippy atmosphere throughout. Later on, the group would work with jazzier and bluesier styles, traces of which are here. They would evolve pretty quickly, actually, both stylistically and via lineup shifts. Here's a most vital first stage! Includes "Paper Sun", "Dealer", "Coloured Rain", "No Face, No Name And No Number", "House For Everyone", "Dear Mr. Fantasy", "Smiling Phases", "Heaven Is In Your Mind", the weird closing fade "Were A Fade, You Missed This" and more.

One of the weird Meters-related New Orleans parade bands from the 70s – similar to the group The Wild Magnolias, but with a sound that's more in a New Orleans mode than a 70s funk one. The Meters play on the record, and the group sings most of the vocals as well – and production is by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, with that 70s New Orleans choppy style that was making them both buckets of money at the time! Tracks include "Brother John", "Indian Red", "Hey Hey", "Hey Mama", "Meet De Boys On The Battlefront", and a version of "Hey Pocky Way".

Titles include "When I Get To The Border", "We Sing Hallelujah", "The Great Valerio", "Down Where The Drunkards Roll", and "The Little Beggar Girl".

One of best ever albums by Tom Waits – the beginning of his gutbuckety, Americana Carnivalesque era of dreamlike sinister romance and lovelorn surrealism! The tin pan piano ballads and get pushed a bit to the wayside for Tom's more mysterious and poetic side, and this begins one of the great second acts in pop/rock history. Includes the tracks "Underground", Shore Leave", "Dave The Butcher", "16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought-Six", "Franks Wild Years", "Down, Down, Down", "Rainbirds", "Just Another Sucker On The Vine", "Town With No Cheer, and others.

The cover's a bit cheesy, but the record's a great one – stunningly spiritual jazz from saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, and a set that really lives up to his soulful fame from the 70s! The record has a similar vibe to some of Ackamoor's recordings with The Pyramids – very well-crafted work that's filled with a rich spirit and lots of freely creative energy – often moved by rhythms that are warm and flowing, and recorded with a sound that's much more 70s than you'd guess from the date of the recording. Idris plays alto sax, and other group members include Art Hirahara on electric piano, Baba Duru on percussion, Destiny Muhammad on harp, and Fred Harris on drums. Some tracks have vocals – sung beautifully, in a really Strata East sort of way – and titles include "Our Voices", "Beckoning", "Libation Song", "Island Dance", "Move Towards The Light", and "Centurian".

A groovy little classic from Atlantic Starr – and a great example of the group's wonderfully catchy way of hitting a groove! The music's never pop, but has some captivating hooks all the way through – sweet little bits mixed in with the funky soul approach of the ensemble – made even better by the great way the vocals get traded back and forth! There's a careful approach to the whole set – a way of putting things together with a good degree of class – and definitely avoiding most of the cliches that would make a similar project sound a lot more clunky. Great stuff throughout – and titles include "Who Could Love You Better", "Second To None", "Touch A Four Leaf Clover", "Tryin", and "Island Dream".

A killer debut from Black Slate – one of the leading lights in British reggae at the start of the 80s – and a group with a warmly soulful sound! Black Slate have a great way of sounding smooth, but never too slick – a balance between their laidback energy and the mellow production modes of the set – all of which give them a vibe that's a bit like the best of Third World in the late 70s, although less commercial overall. The album's got a wonderfully warm appeal – and were it on Island Records, would have undoubtedly cracked the charts on this side of the Atlantic too. But it's also that overseas obscurity that makes it a bit more of a gem overall. Titles include "Amigo", "Sticks Man 80", "Boom Boom", "Romans", "Thin Line Between Love & Hate", and "Freedom Time". CD also features bonus tracks – "Black Slate Rock (12" version)", "Amigo (single)", and "Boom Boom (single)".