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One of just a couple of albums by Leonard Cohen from the 80s – certainly an underappreciated one, in regard to his late 60s and early 70s canon – and that's a shame, because this is pretty brilliant stuff! Stylistically, there's sparse folk pop, some steel guitar twang and then modern production touches that can't mess it up, thanks to the weight and gravity of Cohen's own voice and the beautiful female backup. Titles include "The Night Comes On", "The Captain", "If It Be Your Will", "Dance Me To The End Of Love", "Coming Back To You" and "Hallelujah".

The second album from Leonard Cohen – a more stripped down effort produced by Bob Johnston, with some really odd washes of sound on the outer edges of the sound – adding some slightly uneasy atmosphere that's paired masterfully with Cohen's moody pen. An album full of subtle triumphs, with a few of his more iconic songs and certainly in the upper regions of best work. Titles include the classic "Bird On The Wire", "Story of Isaac", "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy", "The Butcher", "You Know Who I Am", "Lady Midnight" and "Tonight Will Be Fine". Includes two bonus tracks – "Like A Bird" and "Nothing To One".

Leonard Cohen's debut for Columbia, one of the most astounding first albums if its era, and to this day a towering achievement in both songwriting and myth making! The production is that perfectly haunting mix of sparseness and grandeur, with Cohen's lyricism piercing and penetrating wonderfully – his voice never sounded better, and this is certainly one of the great "lightening in a bottle" efforts that was hard to top by Cohen or anyone else in the more poetic upper levels of pop music. Includes ""Suzanne", "Master Song", "Winter Lady", "The Stranger Song", "Sisters Of Mercy", "So Long, Marianne", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "Stories Of The Street", "Teachers" and "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong".

A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player, he's worked with an eclectic roster of major players that includes Frank Zappa, Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, Sly Stone, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others. His solo work is akin to some other great, but better-known Cali country rockers, and honestly, we'd rate this record up against the aforementioned Mr. Parsons – it's really that good – but with more eclectic instrumentation. Catchy songs that are well sung and expertly-crafted – with Chris playing guitars, mandolin, dobro, fiddle and just about anything else with strings on it – and some light percussion, too! Other players include Ed Black, Loren Newkirk, Arnie Moore and Mickey McGhee – plus a sweet group of backing vocalists that includes Jennifer Warren. Titles include "Beware Of Time", "Lovers Of Sleep Abed Tonight", "Shawnee Moon", "Move On Down The Line", "Song For Steven", "Cocaine Lil", "Alligator Man", "Keep On Trying", "New Zoot", "The Show Must Go On", "The Sky Is Not Blue Today" and "We Can Both Learn To Say I Love You".

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".

Tremendous work from Biff Rose – a near-lost singer-songwriter from the late 60s, barely remembered as the author of "Fill Your Heart" from David Bowie's Hunky Dory album – but an incredible talent that we'd rank right up there with Van Dyke Parks or early Randy Newman for sheer American brilliance! As in the work of Parks, there's a quality here that's completely unique – informed by the freedoms of the folk generation, but tuned with older-styled arrangements that while full, still manage to convey a sense of person and presence – as in some of the best early recordings of Leonard Cohen. And like Cohen, Rose has a really poetically-styled approach to his lyrics – far beyond the sardonic eye of folkies, or the indulgence of hippies – and infused with a sense of hope that crackles out of the tunes along with his own crackly vocals. Vocally, we'd almost link Rose to Bob Dorough for a sheer "oh what the hell I'm just gonna sing this" approach – and like Dorough, there's no silliness at all – but real sincerity where we'd never expect it, in a way that leaves us breathless. Children Of Light features spare arrangements and a bit of moog from Van Dyke Parks and Nick Woods! Tracks include "Ain't No Great Day", "Just Like A Man", "American Waltz", "Son In Moon", "Color Blind Blues", "Children Of Light", and "To Baby".

Tremendous work from Biff Rose – a near-lost singer-songwriter from the late 60s, barely remembered as the author of "Fill Your Heart" from David Bowie's Hunky Dory album – but an incredible talent that we'd rank right up there with Van Dyke Parks or early Randy Newman for sheer American brilliance! As in the work of Parks, there's a quality here that's completely unique – informed by the freedoms of the folk generation, but tuned with older-styled arrangements that while full, still manage to convey a sense of person and presence – as in some of the best early recordings of Leonard Cohen. And like Cohen, Rose has a really poetically-styled approach to his lyrics – far beyond the sardonic eye of folkies, or the indulgence of hippies – and infused with a sense of hope that crackles out of the tunes along with his own crackly vocals. Vocally, we'd almost link Rose to Bob Dorough for a sheer "oh what the hell I'm just gonna sing this" approach – and like Dorough, there's no silliness at all – but real sincerity where we'd never expect it, in a way that leaves us breathless. The set features arrangements by Rose, Arthur Wright, Kirby Johnson, and Nick Woods – on titles that include "Mama's Boy", "Angel Tension", "Molly", "The Stars", "It's Happening", "Buzz The Fuzz", and "The Man".

A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player, he's worked with an eclectic roster of major players that includes Frank Zappa, Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, Sly Stone, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others. His solo work is akin to some other great, but better-known Cali country rockers, and honestly, we'd rate this record up against the aforementioned Mr. Parsons – it's really that good – but with more eclectic instrumentation. Catchy songs that are well sung and expertly-crafted – with Chris playing guitars, mandolin, dobro, fiddle and just about anything else with strings on it – and some light percussion, too! Other players include Ed Black, Loren Newkirk, Arnie Moore and Mickey McGhee – plus a sweet group of backing vocalists that includes Jennifer Warren. Titles include "Beware Of Time", "Lovers Of Sleep Abed Tonight", "Shawnee Moon", "Move On Down The Line", "Song For Steven", "Cocaine Lil", "Alligator Man", "Keep On Trying", "New Zoot", "The Show Must Go On", "The Sky Is Not Blue Today" and "We Can Both Learn To Say I Love You". This great 2013 version on Drag City has 5 bonus demos, too!

The heady second album from Bill Fay – much more introspective and moodier than his first outing for Deram, and a session done in tight collaboration with British guitar legend Ray Russell! Russell's got Fay working here with a much smaller group than on the first album – a collection of jazz-influenced players that includes Nick Evans on trombone, Tony Roberts on reeds, and Alan Rushton on drums – all working with Russell's guitar in an intimate, slightly folksy setting. Fay's songwriting and vocals are darker than before – as can easily be told from the titles of tunes like "Don't Let My Marigolds Die", "Dust Filled Room", "Pictures Of Adolf Again", and "Til The Christ Come Back". But somehow, Fay manages to pull the whole thing off beautifully – with none of the cliches or heavy-handed styles you might expect, really working in a transcendent mode that reminds us of the best of early Leonard Cohen.

Overlooked genius from Nancy Wilson – a pair of gems, back to back on a single CD! Can't Take My Eyes Off You is a really great album from Nancy Wilson – a set that still has her working with the jazzy undercurrents of her best 60s work for Capitol Records – yet also moving into some hipper, more sophisticated soul styles too! There's a really strong adult vibe to the record – not that Nancy didn't have one before, but this time around there's even more sense of personality and experiential depth that really comes through in the choice of songs – and in Wilson's wonderful treatment of them. Tunes that might be stiff in the hands of someone else are really transformed here – with added thanks to Phil Wright for great arrangements on the record. Titles include a version of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne", Burt Bacharach's obscure "Waitin For Charlie To Come Home", and the tracks "Trip With Me", "This Girl Is A Woman Now", "Mixed Up Girl", and "Words & Music". Now I'm A Woman is a really unique moment for Nancy – one in which she leaves the LA sound behind, and gets some special treatment from the young Philly crew of the Gamble & Huff studios! Arrangements on the set are by Thom Bell, Lenny Pakula, and Bobby Martin – and the style's an interesting mix of Nancy's pop jazz vocals with some of the lighter, sweeter sounds of the Philly scene at the start of the 70s. The result is a surprisingly wonderful album – quite different for Nancy, and with the kind of backings that really break her out of the sound of the 60s – and pave the way for the sophisticated style of the 70s. Titles include "Now I'm A Woman", "Let's Fall In Love All Over", "Lonely Lonely", "Joe", "How Many Broken Wings", and "The Real Me". CD features three bonus tracks – "Go Away & Find Yourself", "When You're Alone", and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me".

Genius work by a singer-songwriter you've never heard of – a beautiful little album recorded in late 60s Paris, but done with English language lyrics! Nick Garrie's a hell of a great songwriter – one with the poetry of Leonard Cohen, the fragility of Tim Hardin, and the willingness to record with the larger arrangements that often brought out the best sounds from each of those singers! The set has Nick singing and playing guitar alongside full backings arranged by French producer Eddie Vartan – never too over the top, but spacious enough to set the album proudly next to the best early Columbia work by Cohen, or some of Hardin's sweetest sides for Verve. CD also features a rare single produced by guitar legend Mickey Baker, a few demo tracks, and the full tunes from the rare 1968 session with Eddie Vartan! 19 tracks in all – including "Ink Pot Eyes", "Bungles Tours", "David's Prayer", "Wheel Of Fortune", "Queen Of Queens", "Deeper Tones Of Blue", "Evening", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bird", and "Can I Stay With You".