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Rare rock from Rotomagus – a heavy group from France – the complete discography of the group, and a completely fresh discovery to us! The sound is loose, ragged and raw on the unreleased album demo that's covers the first half of the anthology – which only enhances the power of it. Singer Alain Fontaine sings, screams and wails in English – fascinatingly, he is a good singer, but shrieks his head off with abandon on some killer songs here. The band is just as strong, showing command of rhythm and with strong solos as well as bashing away with intensity. In some ways, it's a late 60s-style heavy psych album, but played at breakneck speed, rugged soul and with little effort to tidy anything up. The second half is much different – featuring singles the group cut for Polydor, CBS and other labels – far less raucous and more French pop psych-indebted, and those numbers are great, too! They work as well in frenzy as they do with trippy harmonies – very impressive! Titles include "Laureline", "Little Green Man", "Fighting Cock", "Shout Now", "I Dig Life", "The Flufluting Flatmul" and more from the unreleased demo album, plus the rare singles "Le Haut Du Pave", "Nevada", "Eros", "Madame Wanda", "Laureline", "The Sky Turns Red" and more.

Rare rock from Rotomagus – a heavy group from France – the complete discography of the group, and a completely fresh discovery to us! The sound is loose, ragged and raw on the unreleased album demo that's covers the first half of the anthology – which only enhances the power of it. Singer Alain Fontaine sings, screams and wails in English – fascinatingly, he is a good singer, but shrieks his head off with abandon on some killer songs here. The band is just as strong, showing command of rhythm and with strong solos as well as bashing away with intensity. In some ways, it's a late 60s-style heavy psych album, but played at breakneck speed, rugged soul and with little effort to tidy anything up. The second half is much different – featuring singles the group cut for Polydor, CBS and other labels – far less raucous and more French pop psych-indebted, and those numbers are great, too! They work as well in frenzy as they do with trippy harmonies – very impressive! Titles include "Laureline", "Little Green Man", "Fighting Cock", "Shout Now", "I Dig Life", "The Flufluting Flatmul" and more from the unreleased demo album, plus the rare singles "Le Haut Du Pave", "Nevada", "Eros", "Madame Wanda", "Laureline", "The Sky Turns Red" and more.

An incendiary collection of mid-to-late 60s material from The Attack – a proponent of the same UK scene that spawned The Creation and The Who – and influenced later firebrands like The Buzzcocks and other punk era greats! About Time includes the group's Decca singles, rare radio sessions, and previously unreleased records – some with a slight bluesy guitar tinge, but nearly all of them heavy and driving – way ahead of their time! Tracks include "Any More Than I Do", "Feel Like Flying", "Created by Clive", "Try It", "Go Your Way", "Strange House", "Freedom For You", "Hi Ho Silver Lining", "Magic In The Air (aka Watch With Mother)", and "We Don't Know". 15 tracks in all – and slightly different than the Cherry Red version.

An incredible bit of southern funk – the first landmark LP by Archie Bell & The Drells, and the first big burst of energy from the Texas scene of the 60s! The album's incredible – with Archie up front on rough-hewn vocals, the band grooving in a mad tangle of guitar, bass, and drums, and some super-fierce horn work by the TSU Tornadoes! You've no doubt heard the band's classic "Tighten Up (part 1)", but this album also includes the incredible "part 2" to the track – which takes the groove a million miles higher! And the whole album's equally great – filled with other tight soul gems that include "A Thousand Wonders", "I Don't Want To Be A Playboy", "Give Me Time", and "When You Left Heartache Began".

An incredible bit of southern funk – the first landmark LP by Archie Bell & The Drells, and the first big burst of energy from the Texas scene of the 60s! The album's incredible – with Archie up front on rough-hewn vocals, the band grooving in a mad tangle of guitar, bass, and drums, and some super-fierce horn work by the TSU Tornadoes! You've no doubt heard the band's classic "Tighten Up (part 1)", but this album also includes the incredible "part 2" to the track – which takes the groove a million miles higher! And the whole album's equally great – filled with other tight soul gems that include "A Thousand Wonders", "I Don't Want To Be A Playboy", "Give Me Time", and "When You Left Heartache Began".

Wonderful work from Brook Benton – and the kind of record that always gets overlooked in discussions of southern soul, but which is proof that Benton's always been a key force in the genre! Brook virtually invented the style with his earlier country soul recordings – and by the time of this 1970 set, he's in perfect form vocally – and working under some wonderfully sophisticated arrangements by Arif Mardin. The result is the kind of cross-genre record that Brook could do effortlessly – and which should have made him huge, but instead kind of got him left behind by all the other folks who were copping his style. Yet with the strength of a record like this, we'll take that overlooked fame as still OK – because the set's a gem just waiting to be discovered by later generations like us! Rhythm's by the Dixie Flyers – augmented by jazz players that include King Curtis, Pepper Adams, and Joe Newman. Titles include "Aspen Colorado", "For Lee An", "Whoever Finds This, I Love You", "Don't It Make You Wanta Go Home", and "Let Me Fix It".

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".

A lost southern soul gem – cut at the end of the 70s, in that rare blend of southern and modern styles that few performers could really carry off well! Frederick Knight produced the album, and it really steps off of his own mellow work of earlier years – taking things even further, thanks to a really wonderful presentation on the vocals by CL, sounding here like the best 70s work by Johnnie Taylor or Tyrone Davis! The album's got a really special feel – and if it was cut for a smaller label, it probably would have gone onto become a rare groove treasure – instead of a slightly-overlooked record on Cotillion. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Our Love Will Last", "I've Got To Make It On My Own", "I Wanna Get Down", "If I Had Loved You More", "Love Don't Feel Like Love No More", and "Let's Do Something Different Tonight".

A lost southern soul gem – cut at the end of the 70s, in that rare blend of southern and modern styles that few performers could really carry off well! Frederick Knight produced the album, and it really steps off of his own mellow work of earlier years – taking things even further, thanks to a really wonderful presentation on the vocals by CL, sounding here like the best 70s work by Johnnie Taylor or Tyrone Davis! The album's got a really special feel – and if it was cut for a smaller label, it probably would have gone onto become a rare groove treasure – instead of a slightly-overlooked record on Cotillion. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Our Love Will Last", "I've Got To Make It On My Own", "I Wanna Get Down", "If I Had Loved You More", "Love Don't Feel Like Love No More", and "Let's Do Something Different Tonight".

Two rare European records from Freddy Cole – best known to most of us in the US as a jazz singer! One More Love Song is surprisingly soulful set from Freddy – quite different than some of the straighter jazz vocals he's cut over the years! This rare gem was recorded in The Netherlands in the mid 70s – and features backings from Jerry Van Rooyen and Tony Noite, both of whom mix jazzy inflections with fuller orchestrations – helping to bring Cole's rich background into a whole new light! Freddy's voice still has that wonderful trademark rasp – familiar to, yet quite different than brother Nat – and the use of some smoother soul modes makes for a really great contrast. Titles include "One More Love Song", "I Loved You", "I Need You So", "Still Wanna Be With You", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Here Is Where Your Love Belongs". Right From The Heart has Freddy Cole taking on a mix of adult ballads and some groovier numbers – set to arrangements by John Gally, Hennie Bekker, and Steve Gray – and recorded in London with a nicely mature feel. There's a bit of polish to the production, especially on the more upbeat cuts – but the mellower numbers still have Cole singing in a great old school mode. Titles include "The Girl From The Piano Bar", "To Be With You", "Teach Me Tonight", "Summer Love", "Somewhere Down The Line", and "Right From The Start".

By this point in their career, The Commodores have lost Lionel Richie and any sort of funk credibility they had from their early years – but they also somehow manage to reemerge with a great new talent for a sweet mellow groove! The title tune "Nightshift" was one of those tracks that crossed over massively at the time – but to our ears, it also kind of redeemed the group too – as it's got a surprisingly soulful quality that really got the group past the soppiness of their ballads and love songs – gliding along with an almost-righteous quality that makes it a nice later cap to an earlier Motown 70s groove. Other tunes on the album don't always fare as well, but there's still some nice moments here – tunes that benefit from some Dennis Lambert production and hit just the right kind of mellow groove to follow up on the spirit of the single. Tracks include "Nightshift", "Slip Of The Tongue", "Lay Back", "Lightin Up The Night", and "The Woman In My Life".

A Chilean group with a really wonderful sound – one that mixes familiar folksy guitar and flute with some larger string arrangements – in a style that's quite sublime, and which echoes strongly with the British acid folk generation! Lyrics are all in Spanish, but there's a timeless universality here that gets past any language barrier – an earthy feel that holds strongly throughout, and which unfolds with incredible beauty throughout the set. Titles include "Arrebol", "Mentes Prenadas De Amor", "Estrecha A Tu Hermano", "Fantastico", "Cosas Que Suceden", "Ecliptica", and "Tanto Parcelamiento".

Enigmatic sounds from UK reedman Lol Coxhill – a really cool collaboration with Morgan Fisher – who adds in his own tape manipulation, guitar, and piano next to Coxhill's work on soprano sax – plus a bit of carillion too! The style's even more spacey and laidback than Lol's 70s duets with Steven Miller – but has a similarly hypnotic quality – proof that Coxhill was always trying to go way beyond jazz, and way beyond some of the standard free modes of his contemporaries – always interested in shaping sounds to new ends – with fascinating results that make the album a corker! Titles include "Slow Music", "Matt Finish", "Jetsam", "Flotsam", "Vase", and "Que En Paz Descanse". CD features a bonus sound collage titled "Play Quiet" – with work by Gavin Bryars!

A Latin classic from the word "bang"! This album was the one that busted Joe Cuba out of the Latin ghetto – into the sound of 60s soul, early funk, and beyond. The record's a stone winner – filled with boogaloo tracks delivered by Joe's firey young sextet, a killer ensemble that was setting the Latin world on its ear at the time. The title track – "Bang Bang" – is one of those tracks that you'll recognize from a million references, but which never sounds as good as it does on this impeccable version from Joe. The whole album follows in a similar suit – blending Latin, jazz, and soul with effortless ease – shifting between English and Spanish lyrics in a genre-busting style that really captures all the freshness of the era. The whole thing's great, and titles include "Asi Soy", "Alafia", "Triste", "Mujer Divina", "Oh Yeah", "Sock It To Me", and the "Bang Bang" follow-up, "Push, Push, Push". Great, hard, and a heck of a lot of fun!

Rare solo material from pianist Leo Cuypers – a really wonderful set that gives us a chance to hear his talents in a completely unfettered setting! We know Cuypers best from some of his efforts in groups, and it's a great change to hear him here on his own – working through some amazing original compositions that are filled with life and feeling! At some points, he's got all the wit, energy, and sharp edges of contemporary Misha Mengelberg – but at other times, there's this lyrical cohesion to his music that almost reminds us of the most tuneful moments of Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett – an obvious great range of sounds to come from one player in such a small space – which makes the album possibly the greatest illustration of Cuyper's genius we've ever heard. Titles include "Lovely Rita", "Monk's Raus", "Het Cowboylied Van Ome Piet", "One Million Dollar Song", "Tristano Song", and "Lovely Rita". CD also features 3 long bonus tracks too!

Two 60s gems from Brit leader John Dankworth – both pretty unique! What The Dickens is a record that's way better than you might guess – and a key document of the creative orchestrations of the great John Dankworth! The set features tunes inspired by the writings of Charles Dickens – but the writing and interpretation is 60s modern all the way through – thanks to a crack lineup that includes Tubby Hayes and Dick Morriseey on tenors, Ronnie Ross on baritone, Tony Coe on clarinet, Kenny Wheeler and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, and Dankworth himself on some mighty nice alto! The session swings strongly – and surprisingly nice solos dart out amidst the otherwise goofy concept of the record – thanks to Dankworth's hand for a good arrangement and a nice sense of swing! Titles include "Weller Never Did", "The Prologue", "Ghosts", "The Artful Dodger", and "Dodson & Fogg". "Off Duty" has Dankworth's classic jazz charts getting a new sort of zing – thanks to electric bass from Herbie Flowers and Brian Odgers, which really helps give most of the tracks a great little groove! The record's got a soulful undercurrent we're not used to hearing from Dankworth – and the production is nice and tight, with a sound library sense of compression that really works wonders with the playful instrumentation. Titles include "African Waltz", "To Emma", "Off Duty", "Little Brown Jig", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", and "Song Of India".

Dr. John's second record, cut back in the days when there was a lot more freakiness to his bag – as you'll notice by his eyeballs in the photo on the back cover! The tracks are wild, funky, and messed-up New Orleans R&B filtered through a heavy dose of psychedelics – a unique little mix that countless others copied in later years, but which John did better than anyone else! Harold Battiste produced and arranged – and tracks include "Mama Roux", "Croker Courtbullion", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", and the original version of "I Walk On Guilded Splinters".

A sweet set of street soul from Fatback – delivered with a bit more electro influences than some of their classic funk, but a groove that's still always right on the money! Bill Curtis is at the helm of the group, laying down most of the rhythms via DMX – but even with the electronics, the funky sensibility of the music comes through strongly – nicely percolated on the midtempo tunes, and gliding a bit more softly on the mellower ones. John DeBerry makes his debut with the group on lead vocals for the record, but Ben E King also guests on two tracks – "So Delicious" and "Evil". Other titles include "Lover Undercover", "Go Out With A Bang", "Girls On My Mind", "Start It Up", and "She's A Go-Getter".

What can we say? We've heard this one a million times, it sold over a million copies – but it's still incredible! The record is Roberta's first, and it features her in a mellow trio format, augmented by some occasional larger arrangements by William Fischer. At most points, though, the sound is incredibly spare – with vocals that are much more soulful than any of Roberta's other records, and a sound that hints at Nina Simone, but which has it's own jazzy groove and deep sense of feeling. Includes the classic funky version of "Compared To What", plus "Angelitos Negros", "Our Ages Our Our Hearts", and "Tryin Times".

Two incredibly groovy records that will completely redefine your expectations for religious music – both put together by the Rev Nick Freund! Montgomery Chapel is an incredibly dark album that's way more acid folk than anything else – recorded by a group named The Search Party, and served up with spare acoustic guitar, trippy electric, and this etherel organ that really makes the whole thing feel like an acid trip right from the start – as do the lyrics, which are often sung by a female singer who sounds like Grace Slick really trying to push even farther past the darkness of "White Rabbit"! A few tunes are upbeat, but most are very slow and sad – almost Wicker Man in mood – with titles that include "The News Is You", "All But This", "Renee Child", "Speak To Me", "When He Calls", and "The Decidedly Short Epic Of Mr Alvira". The second album is titled after a creepy line from the Bible – Each One Heard In His Own Language About The Marvels Of God – quoted later by Aphrodite's Child on their 666 album, and presented here at the start of the record by the St Pius X Seminary Choir, in ways that oddly have the same sort of eerie undercurrents! The set's more of a straight vocal affair, but with plenty of folksy undertones – and there's also an undeniable sense of darkness that completely undercuts any brighter spirit of faith. Titles include "Who is This Man", "Get Together", "Come Children Hear Me", and "Mass For The Secular City". 2CD set features great notes, in the usual Lion style – plus a dozen more bonus tracks too!

A landmark album from pianist Michael Garrick – one of the sublime recordings he made with vocalist Norma Winstone in the late 60s and early 70s! Garrick's approach is really unique – a flowing, almost modal approach that spirals out in a joyously dancing groove – not nearly as chunky or standard as styles from American jazz, but working in the freer rhythms being explored on the European scene of the time. Winstone's vocals are a perfect accompaniment for this approach – as she sings in a moody style that's often wordless, and which fits nicely next to flowing piano and sax lines on the set. Players include Don Rendell, Coleridge Goode, Art Themen, and Garrick himself – and titles include "Troppo", "To Henry, A Son", "Lime Blossom", "Sons Of Art", and "Overtones Of A Forgotten Music".

A pair of instrumental classics from Marty Gold – back to back on a single CD! Sounds Unlimited is filled with soaring sounds from RCA maestro Marty Gold – maybe not the totally unlimited record you might expect from the title, but definitely a key 60s entry in the genre of bachelor pad hi fi records! There's a fair bit of horns in the orchestrations, with solos by Don Butterfield, Joe Wilder, Phil Bodner, and Mel Davis – all of whom help to color the tunes with lots of nice jazzy tones – giving the whole thing a bit more depth than the usual instrumental outing. Titles include "Alone Together", "When I Fall In love", "Ballerina", "Skylark", "The Donkey Serenade", and "Tonight". For Sound's Sake has Marty Gold really pushing the needle into the red – using lots of jazzy inflections to expand the dynamic range of the instrumentals on the set – with key solo work by players who include Phil Bodner and Jerome Richardson on reeds, as well as Joe Wilder on trumpet. Titles include "Mood Indigo", "Memories Of You", "Yesterdays", "All The Things You Are", "I Love Paris", "El Cumbanchero", and "Baubles Bangles & Beads".

Collector's disc manufactured for Colgate-Palmolive.

Although Lionel Hampton's always best remembered for his storming swing days in the early 40s, we love him on records like this one – an easy open-ended straight jazz session from the 50s, with lots of room for soloing in a much more jazz-oriented vein than you'll hear on Hamp's early records. The group's a small all-star combo that features Roy Brown, Buddy Rich, and Oscar Peterson next to Hamp's vibes – and the set list includes long takes of "Midnight Sun", "That Old Black Magic", and "Blues For Norman".

Paris was always a great city for Lionel Hampton – but it seemed like in the mid 50s, it was also a place where he cut some of his best work, too! The French New Sound pair of albums are both classics in Hamp's book – records that take off from the looser, longer-form style that he'd been hitting with his Verve recordings of the early 50s – yet which also retain some of the tighter, fuller elements of his famous large ensembles. Players on the records are great – a lineup that includes travelling American jazz greats like Benny Bailey and Nat Adderley on trumpets, and a young David Amram on French Horn – plus crack Parisian players who include Sacha Distel on guitar, Rene Urtreger on piano, and Guy Pederson on bass. The tracks are simple jamming numbers – long and open-ended, in the mode of some of Hamp's very popular live work at the time, and the vibes are right out front – hard-edged, with that soulful sound that Hamp pioneered on the instrument – and the other players are given very ample room to solo. Titles include "Voice Of The North", "A La French", and "Zebu".

Two dramatic scores from Leigh Harline – a sometimes-overlooked composer from the great years of Hollywood soundtracks! The Wayward Bus is put together with some really beautiful charts – filled with sadder tones and bluer notes amidst the orchestrations – that wonderful late 50s move to more adult dramatic inflections – conducted by Lionel Newman with a great sense of care. Things are never too overdone, yet build with this really personal quality – a sense of tension that breaks into gentle redemption at the end – on titles that include "Johnny & Alice", "The Old Road/Mirror Mirror", "Lonesome Alice", "Mildred & Johnny", and "A Time For Contemplation". Harline's music for The Enemy Below is a bit more driving – full of the sorts of bold movement and quiet reflection that you'd expect in a submarine thriller – balancing between modes almost as if the submarine itself was diving and resurfacing. Titles include "Radar Contact", "Charting Tables", "Counter Attack", "Abandon Ship", "Ocean Bottom", "Target Safe", "Target Waiting", and "The Enemy Below".

Solid roots from Junior Kelly! Piece OF The Pie finds Junior Kelly in as fine of form as we've heard him years – delivered with a timeless sound that's perfectly comfortable in a contemporary setting – neither catering to contemporary trends or bowing to overt throwback traditionalism. His voice is full of soulful spiritiual resonance, too. Very nice stuff! Includes "Rock, Rock, Rock", "Creator", "Piece Of The Pie", "Heads Up", "Been There", "Save Your Soul", "Fly Away", "Bun Babylon", "Lots Of Herbs", "Still A Hold Faith", "Win Or Lose", "Go Round Dem" with Lion Face, "Dem A Wonder" with Smiley, "Don't Say No" with Mark Wonder and more.

One of the best-remembered moments from the mighty King Floyd – a southern soul singer who came into the game slightly later than some of his Atlantic Records contemporaries, but who still packs a punch that's right up there with the best of them! The album's best known for the huge hit "Groove Me" – a slinky, catchy tune that's gotten King plenty of play over the years – but the whole thing is pretty darn great, and shows a new sound and style of southern soul coming into play – as Floyd's working in Jackson, at the Malaco Studios, with Wardell Quezergue producing – in a sound that's a bit free of some of the more obvious Memphis and Muscle Shoals modes, yet without any of the cliches that would later hold some folks back too. King balances things perfectly throughout – and in addition to "Groove Me", the set also features "Let Us Be", "Messing Up My Mind", "What Our Love Needs", and "Don't Leave Me Lonely".

An older bandleader takes on sounds from two different groovy sources of the 70s – both of them great! Plays Michel Legrand has Andre Kostelanetz serving up some sweet versions of tunes from some of Legrand's famous soundtracks of the 60s and early 70s – most of them done with fairly broad string arrangements, but underscored with some of the groovier tones and timings that make Michel's music so great. Andre never gets too overemotional, even when things are lush – and titles include "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life", "Summer Of 42", "Lady Sings The Blues", "Orson's Theme", "Once Upon A Summertime", and "Pieces Of Dreams". Plays Chicago is even weirder, but maybe even cooler too – as Andre Kostelanetz handles the music of Chicago – stripping the tunes of the heavy brass styles you might expect, and instead washing them heavily in strings, which then often get a similar dynamic range to the horns! Arrangements are from Don Sebesky, Torri Zito, Luther Henderson, Marty Manning, and Al Capps – and titles include "Fancy Colours", "Make Me Smile", "Questions 67 & 68", "Beginnings", "25 Or 6 To 4", "Flight 602", and "Wake Up Sunshine".

An older bandleader takes on sounds from two different groovy sources of the 70s – both of them great! Plays Michel Legrand has Andre Kostelanetz serving up some sweet versions of tunes from some of Legrand's famous soundtracks of the 60s and early 70s – most of them done with fairly broad string arrangements, but underscored with some of the groovier tones and timings that make Michel's music so great. Andre never gets too overemotional, even when things are lush – and titles include "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life", "Summer Of 42", "Lady Sings The Blues", "Orson's Theme", "Once Upon A Summertime", and "Pieces Of Dreams". Plays Chicago is even weirder, but maybe even cooler too – as Andre Kostelanetz handles the music of Chicago – stripping the tunes of the heavy brass styles you might expect, and instead washing them heavily in strings, which then often get a similar dynamic range to the horns! Arrangements are from Don Sebesky, Torri Zito, Luther Henderson, Marty Manning, and Al Capps – and titles include "Fancy Colours", "Make Me Smile", "Questions 67 & 68", "Beginnings", "25 Or 6 To 4", "Flight 602", and "Wake Up Sunshine".

Post-Tropicalia work from Leno – a Brazilian singer who'd worked as part of a duo during the Jovem Guarda years, but who really sounds great here on his own! The style's a bit more straightforward rock than the Brazilian sound of a few years back – a bit fuzzy and compressed at times, yet still with a really strong edge, and light years from more mainstream American rock of the time. Many tracks were supposedly banned by the censors in Brazil at the time, although from today's perspective they've got a hard-rocking charm that's more innocent than anything else – a quality that makes the record ripe for rediscovery today! Lion productions have done a wonderful job with the notes and packaging (as usual!) – and titles include "Johnny McCartney", "Por Que Nao", "Lady Baby", "Deixo O Tempo Me Levar", "Peguei Uma Apolo", "Pobre Do Rei", "Sentando No Arco-Iris", and "Bis".

Two soundtrack-themed albums – back to back on one CD! Themes For Super Heroes is a 1979 effort from Geoff Love – one timed to match up with the successful Superman film, but which also features bits from a range of TV heroes as well! Love's arrangements are lush, but often quite lean – done with some warm 70s glow at points, but never that sleepy, and with an ear for the right sort of dynamic bigger band arrangements to keep things interesting, when needed! Titles include "Blakes 7", "Spiderman", "The Bionic Woman", "The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Incredible Hulk", "Can You Read My Mind", and "Dick Barton Special Agent". Big Terror has a striking picture of Jaws on the cover – and follows up with its main theme, as well as key themes from a host of other 70s horror and disaster movies! Geoff Love changes things up in just the right way – almost making the album feel like a fresh batch of easy instrumentals instead of recaps of the exact soundtracks – on titles that include "Three Days Of The Condor", "The Exorcist", "The Eiger Sanction", "Jaws", "The Executioner", and "Death Wish".

Two soundtrack-themed albums – back to back on one CD! Themes For Super Heroes is a 1979 effort from Geoff Love – one timed to match up with the successful Superman film, but which also features bits from a range of TV heroes as well! Love's arrangements are lush, but often quite lean – done with some warm 70s glow at points, but never that sleepy, and with an ear for the right sort of dynamic bigger band arrangements to keep things interesting, when needed! Titles include "Blakes 7", "Spiderman", "The Bionic Woman", "The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Incredible Hulk", "Can You Read My Mind", and "Dick Barton Special Agent". Big Terror has a striking picture of Jaws on the cover – and follows up with its main theme, as well as key themes from a host of other 70s horror and disaster movies! Geoff Love changes things up in just the right way – almost making the album feel like a fresh batch of easy instrumentals instead of recaps of the exact soundtracks – on titles that include "Three Days Of The Condor", "The Exorcist", "The Eiger Sanction", "Jaws", "The Executioner", and "Death Wish".

An incredibly captivating album of female soul – unlike anything else we can think of! Side one features a suite of tracks that details an ill-fated love affair in 4 modes: Introduction, Hoping, Final Attempt, and The Next Time – all done in a mode that mixes standard southern soul with these deeper monologues delivered by Tami in between each track! Lynn performs the work in a starkly intimate style that sends chills down our spine – and which makes you feel like you're listening in on her talking to her best friend – very cool, very personal, and deeper than most other work of its type. Side two is back on the regular tip – with shorter songs overall – but Tami does a pretty good job its range of mellow southern ballads and a few more uptempo numbers. Titles include a version of Andre Williams "Mojo Hanna", plus "Ain't No Soul", "One Night Of Sin", "Love Is Here & Now You're Gone", and "That's Understanding".

Diplo's back as Major Lazer – which is now a full-fledged all star project – and still steeped in big, boundary-busting, floor-shaking dancehall influences – with appearances by Santigold, Bruno Mars, Vybes Kartel, Amber from Dirty Projectors, Elephant Man, Wyclef, Shaggy, Opal, Ms. Dynamite, Flux Pavilion and more! There's a real love for genuine digital dancehall and diverse avant dancefloor, but with some tricked out atmosphere all its own and wildly unpredictable, yet still infection vibe that's pure Diplo. Titles include "You're No Good", "Jet Blue Jet", "Jah No Partial", "Scare Me", "Jessica", "Keep Cool", "Sweat", "Bubble Butt", "Reach For The Stars", "Mashup The Dance", "Watch Out For This (Bumaye)", "Playground" and more.

A rare album that Rusty Evans cut as Marcus for the Kinetic label – a beautifully produced set of lushly-accent psych folk – in a great package filled with demos, alternate versions and outtakes – in a 2CD set from Lion! Evans may be best remembered for his San Fransisco Sound production work, late 60s psychedelia that's a perfect encapsulation of the Haight-Ashbury scene of the time. His material as Marcus (which is his real first name) bridged that vibe with gentler folk rock touches, with lots of great acoustic instrumentation and flute in mix. His fragile, quivery vibrato vocals are laidback and unique, as is the spriritually trippy lyricism! Disc One features the original LP, followed by acoustic demos and alternates with the studio band. Includes "(We'll All) Go Together", "Time Of Our Time", "Grains Of Sand", "Royal Maze", "Color Song", "Children Of Aquarius", "Royal Maze", "High Priestess" and more. Disc Two is a full disc of alternate versions and outtakes – many of them quite different than versions that made the album – and often just as great! 42 tracks on 2CDs.

Two groovy sets from Paul Mauriat – both recorded in the magic year of 1966! More Mauriat really has Paul opening up with some hipper 60s sounds than usual – taking on a whole bunch of American pop tunes of the time, and retuning a French orchestral approach towards leaner, meaner modes – almost a soulful strings sort of vibe at times – although at others, definitely scored by Mauriat with the kind of French soundtrack styles we love in his music – especially in his great use of electric harpsichord on many of the tunes! Titles include "Bang Bang", "Black Is Black", "Sunny", "Guantanamera", "Lara's Theme", and "Reach Out I'll Be There". Prestige De Paris returns Mauriat to the songs of his homeland – classic French tunes from the more romantic previous generation – often done here with full strings and a relatively florid approach that's a bit different than some or Paul's worldwide hits. Titles include "Sous Le Ponts De Paris", "La Mer", "Moulin Rouge", "Les Feuilles Mortes", "La Seine", and "Fascination".

A true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz with their famous guitar-driven funk – all in a blend that's a lot more sophisticated than most other funk combos of the time, from the rhythms at the bottom to the instrumentation on the top! There's a darkness here that's undeniable – but the album's also not just a head trip into the fuzziest reaches of the studio – as the jazzier inflections help illuminate the farthest corners, and really bring the whole album back to focus with a wonderfully redemptive groove! Psychedelic elements are still all over the place, but also used sparingly enough to be most effective – a brilliant balance that few groups of this type were ever able to muster. Titles include the classic "Funky Worm", with the wild moogy bit that's been sampled loads of times over the years by a gazillion hip hoppers – plus loads of other nice ones, like the slow bonking funker "Pride & Vanity", the wild "Walt's First Trip", and the groovy "Laid It" – as well as "Pleasure", "Paint Me", "Our Love Has Died", and "Walked Away From You". CD features amazing sound and a whopping 7 bonus tracks – including "Ruffell Foot", "What It Is", "Rooster Poot", "Gone Forever", "Dimensions In Time", and "Introducing The Players".

A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a number of albums, that a whole bunch of incredible music made during it has been pretty badly overlooked over the years! This set on the always great Pressure Sounds puts together 20 of those – many of them simmering with quite a funky sound! Killer organ grooves and smoking rhythms highlight numbers by Val Bennett, The Mellowtones, The Ethiopians, Junior Byles and, of course, the amazing Upsetters! Glen Adams and Winston Wright handle those organs, sax by Tommy McCook, bass by Aston Barrett, trumpet by Bobby Ellis and other legendary instrumentalists, plus Lee Perry on percussion and production. Includes "Val Blows In" by Val Bennett & The Upsetters, "Boss" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "High Plains Drifter", "The Man With No Name" and "Amigo" by The Upsetters, "It's Growing" by Busty Brown & The Upsetters, "What's Wrong With You" by The Bleechers, "He Don't Love You" by The Silvertones, "Awake" by The Ethiopians, "A Big Joke" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Rockfort Psychedelion" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "Iniquity Workers" by The Faithful Brothers, "Rip Up Festival '71" by Junior Byles & Righteous Upsetters and more.

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

An incredible set from Sun Ra – straighter than most of his 70s work, and a brilliant showcase for the tenor of John Gilmore! The group's just a quartet – with Ra on keyboards, Michael Ray on trumpet, and Luqman Ali on drums – on titles that include "Along The Tiber", "Rebellion", "The Mistery Of Being", "One Day In Rome", and "Springtime & Summer Idyll".

Robot Rock n Roll issue featuring a lavishly illustrated encyclopedia of hundreds of robot records/bands/etc. Interviews with Captured! By Robots, Gilbert and George (The Singing Sculpture), Arthur Lee Maye (1950s R&B/Baseball star), Blowfly, The Troggs, Snoop Dogg, The Syndicate of Sound, Richard and the Young Lions, Rocket From The Crypt, Archer Prewitt, Andy Starr and Junior Brown. Plus Bubblegum, Martin & Lewis, Shrimpenstein (written by Dominic Priore), Crispy Ambulance, Sammy Davis, Jr., Art Fein's 1950s Chicago memories, Bryan Gregory obituary, lots of comics, reviews and more.

An incredible little record – and one that helped take the Capitol Records surf sound of the early 60s into much hipper territory for the 70s! The record is certainly a "surf symphony" – in that it features a larger orchestra conducted by Jan Rubini – set to groovier themes that have a leaner, cleaner, more "adult" sort of easy feel – but one that also bounces along with a fair bit of groove in the mix! The style is somewhere in the territory of Pat Williams at his hippest – but also has some slight rockish touches as well – stepping around the larger strings with a soundtracky mode that's totally great. Players on the record include Jim Gordon on drums and Lyle Ritz on bass – and Ritz's strong electric pulse at the bottom of the orchestrations really help keep things moving along nicely! The overall sound is tough to describe, but it's wonderful throughout – a really unique little record that's Capitol at its finest and hippest. Titles include versions of "Warmth Of The Sun", "Theme From A Summer Place", and "My Cherie Amour" – plus "The Last Thrill", "Green Water Sails", "The Promise Of Rain", and "Night Of The Lions".

A pair of compelling British instrumental albums back to back – both of them with a really unique flavor! Russo In London is a rare British outing for Stan Kenton alumni Bill Russo – a date recorded at the legendary Lansdowne studios, and one that may well be one of Russo's greatest albums ever as a leader! The set's filled with material originally scored for the Kenton group – but served up here with really inventive arrangements from Russo – modern in tones, but soulful in colors – and filled with unusual changes that really keep things interesting, and a bit swinging too. Soloists include Johnny Scott on alto, Duncan Lamont on tenor, Keith Christie on trombone, and Leon Calvert on trumpet – and titles include "Frank Speaking", "Egdon Heath", "Portrait Of A Count", "Sweets", "Bill's Blues", and "Ennui". Blowing Up A Storm is a showcase for the trumpet talents of Kenny Baker – working here with his sprightly Baker's Dozen combo, on a date that was recorded by the legendary Joe Meek! Baker's horn isn't always out front, which makes for a nice focus on the overall sound of the ensemble – and titles include "Blowing Up A Storm", "Call Of The Flute", "Night Blooming Jazz Man", "Threesome", and "Sunrise Serenade".

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie".

A motherlode of great music from Zoot Sims – mid 70s recordings done for the Groove Merchant label, presented here in a late 70s package! Although Groove Merchant was mostly known for its funkier sounds, the work here is nicely back to basics for Sims – small group sessions that give him plenty of room to open up and blow – paired with players that include Lionel Hampton on vibes, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Teddy Wilson on piano, and Buddy Rich on drums. The sound is warm, but never sleepy – and Zoot's tenor has a nice edge on his solos that dominate most tunes. Titles include"A Summer Thing", "Somebody Loves Me", "Up A Lazy River", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Send In the Clowns", and "Memories Of You".

Non-stop grooving from Slave – a record that has them losing the lead talents of Steve Arrington, but not missing a beat! As with Showtime, the sound here is a nicely smoothed-out approach to the bassy funk the group helped forge at the end of the 70s – a more soul-based sound that still keeps things funky, yet which also stays away from the tricks, gimmicks, and too over the top sort of styles that were hurting some groups at the time. There's plenty of great bass parts and snapping drums, all next to filtered harmonies on the vocals that sweeten the album in just the right way. Titles include "Do You Like It Girl", "I'll Be Gone", "Friday Nites", "Sweet Thang", and "Be My Babe".

The great late 60s record from Peruvian rockers The (St Thomas) Pepper Smelter! Soul & Pepper is a batch of fuzzy, organ-heavy groovers – with a few strong covers and some worthy originals by the band. It has a pretty tight late 60s feel – one that's informed by their garage and freakbeat forbears from around the world – along with some uniquely South American sounds. They take on "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", "Strange Brew" and "Hey Joe" – and they put a unique spin on those classic tunes – but the group's originals are pretty great, too! Other tracks include "Pepper's Boogaloo", "Answer", and the wild "Betty Boom, Little Monster Doggie and Peggie At The Witches Castle". They sing in English on most tracks – and this great CD version has 3 bonus cuts – including a Spanish version of "Stormy", plus the instrumentals "Un Nuevo Verano" and "Outside Woman Blues".

A legendary TV soundtrack – music for a show that only ran for 8 episodes, but which has lived on for decades past the original program! The Hanged Man features some of the funkiest grooves to ever come from the Themes International sound library label – cuts scored by Alan Tew, and played by the label's hip group of session musicians – including Alan Hawkshaw on keyboards and Alan Parker on guitar! Although originally billed to a group named Bullet, the recordings are actually straight sound library sessions – but funky enough to match the best cop/crime work of the time – similar to DeWolfe music used in The Sweeney! There's an armful of samples on here, and even more great funky instrumentals – and the set not only features the cuts issued as The Hanged Man soundtrack, but also the albums Drama Suite Vol 1 & 2 – the original sound library records that created the music. The CD features a whopping 47 tracks in all – including lots of short cuts never on any other Hanged Man releases – with titles that include "The Rub Contract Man", "Helicop", "Money Runner", "The Detectives", "Night Watch", "The Fence", "Total Silence", "Eyes", "Master Plan", "Big One Prelude", "Snout", "Car Patrol", and "The Heister".

Pre-metal, post-psych, and an incredible batch of hard rock gems from Warpig – an obscure Canadian combo at the start of the 70s – but one who work here at a level that easily matches the best from early Deep Purple or Black Sabbath! Like both of those groups, there's a driving, intense feel to Warpig's music – fuzz borrowed from psych, but really focused in a forward-moving action – spurred on even more strongly by the driving drums and brooding basslines – which all serve to really shade the whole record in a hell of a lot of darkness, right from the start! This is no one-off, obscure-for-obscure-sakes sort of record – as the set's got the power to please even the most suspicious hard rock fan of the time – a flurry of great numbers that includes Flaggi", "Tough Nuts", "Advance Am", "Rockstar", and "Sunflight". Includes great notes too!

Great smooth soul from Wee Gee – a wonderful little record from the dawn of the 80s! The album's a great one, thanks largely to Vernon Bullock, who wrote, arranged, and produced with that uptempo modern style that he brought to his best work of the 70s. The soaring title track is a 10+ minute epic that really transcends – hitting an emotional groove early and holding it throughout – and the rest of the tunes are just as nice! Wee Gee's a pretty decent vocalist – and the lofty arrangements keep him in the groove in a mode that's similar to some of Lamont Dozier's best work. The keys and synthesizers are nice – never oversteeped in ways that mired modern soul later in the decade and they go very will with the larger arrangements! Titles include "Hold On (To Your Dreams)", "Let Me Lay With You", "You've Been A Part Of Me", "Remember The Love", and "Don't Make Me The Reason".

The classic first album by this legendary funky combo – a group who not only went onto change the sound of funk in the 80s, but also went onto have a huge impact on generations of hip hop as well! The album burns from the very first note – the wicked snapping funk of "More Bounce To The Ounce" – a tune that became the blueprint for a generation, and still sounds way better than the millions of copycat attempts that came out over the years! The record follows with some equally wicked bass/keyboard cuts – often with plenty of electro production touches too – thanks to sweeeet work in the studio from Bootsy Collins and Roger Troutman. Bootsy's presence is key, too – as the set kind of strips down the ensemble P-Funk vibe of the generation before – going for a lean, clean groove that's held up beautifully over the years! In addition to "More Bounce To The Ounce", the record also features the mellow steppers cut "Be Alright", which has a wonderful hook, and a great compressed modern soul sound – and other tracks include "Funky Bounce", "Freedom", and "Brand New Pplayer".

The previously unreleased last album by The Zombies! RIP – The Lost Album features a batch of tracks were prepared for release pretty much on time with the group's demise – but after a couple of singles, the LP was ultimately shelved. Older Decca sessions still sound remarkably fresh here, the set is totally worth the Zombies legacy. Includes "Imagine The Swan" and "If It Don't Work Out", among the final singles ever issued by The Zombies and "Conversation Off Floral St", which was one of only a couple Zombies instrumentals. Other tracks include "Smokey Day", "Girl Help Me", "She Loves The Way They Love Her", "I'll Keep Trying", "Don't Cry For Me" and more.

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

The dancefloor just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to an incredible selection of rare disco and club tracks from the best years of the genre! The set list here is really amazing – the kind of tunes that rarely turn up this easily, and never in such a cohesive package – and our hats are off to compiler Al Kent for putting together such a wonderfully tasty set! Most numbers here are from the mid to late 70s – and showcase a soulfully grooving approach to disco – one that's free from the cliches of the mainstream side of the genre, and which features plenty of real soul vocals alongside uptempo funky instrumentation that usually features a few odd twists and turns! Most numbers are edited by Al Kent, sometimes in very subtle ways, and include "cover ups" billed to other artists – and the package essentially brings together material from Kent's previous CD series of the same name – but with revised track order, wonderful packaging, and a bonus poster! Limited vinyl 1 features the tracks – "Love Is All Around" by Sizzle, "I've Been Searching" by Arts & Crafts, "Get Ready" by Allan Harris & Perpetual Motion, "Sweet Jazz Music" by Panache, "To Be With You" by Jimmy Sabater, "Funkathone" by The People's Workshop, "Just Friends" by Silver Platinum & Gold, and "Why In The World Do They Keep On" by Executive Suite.

The dancefloor just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to an incredible selection of rare disco and club tracks from the best years of the genre! The set list here is really amazing – the kind of tunes that rarely turn up this easily, and never in such a cohesive package – and our hats are off to compiler Al Kent for putting together such a wonderfully tasty set! Most numbers here are from the mid to late 70s – and showcase a soulfully grooving approach to disco – one that's free from the cliches of the mainstream side of the genre, and which features plenty of real soul vocals alongside uptempo funky instrumentation that usually features a few odd twists and turns! Most numbers are edited by Al Kent, sometimes in very subtle ways, and include "cover ups" billed to other artists – and the package essentially brings together material from Kent's previous CD series of the same name – but with revised track order, wonderful packaging, and a bonus poster! Limited vinyl 2 features the tracks "Dancing Free" by Hot Ice, "Doing Our Own Thang" by Al Tanner, "Fear" by Arthur King, "Party Together" by Superbs, "How Can I Tell Her" by Curtis, "Giving It All To You" by Cheryl Berdell, "We've Got It" by Sylvano Santorio, and "Sound Of Disco Rock" by Stringfield Family.

A full scale joint effort from the always unpredictable Stones Throw label and the cassette-centric Leaving Records – featuring audio adventurers Julia Holter, dak, Cyclist, Trance Farmers, Dem Hunger, Run DMT, Soundwizard BZB & MC Set, Oscar McClure, Odd Nosdam, Sun Araw and more. Cool, creative and diverse stuff – a good deal of it with kind of a darkness-tinged electro atmosphere – and an array of eerie broken beats, abstract instrumentals and vocals. 19 tracks in all: "Visions" by The Cyclist, "Into The Night" by Davis, "Lions Den" by dak, "Labelle Gross" by Oscar McClure, "You & Me Both (Live Arthur Russell Tribute)" by Julia Holter, "Sisters" by Odd Nosdam, "Right Off" by Sun Araw, "Bardo States Dream Walker Version" by Run DMT, "Purple Hay" by Trance Farmers, "Sadnis" by Knx, "Atimo" by Yuk and more.

A great little discovery from the 60s – work from a teeny tiny Canadian label, but all of it pretty darn great! Not many groups recorded for the Gaeity Records label, but they all seem to be pretty well skilled at picking up on the best elements of 60s psyche pop and garage – all delivered here with a simple but effective groove that's almost a bridge between the LA and Chicago scenes of the mid 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – broken into sections group by group – and titles include "World Of Dreams" and "Only In America" by The Plague, "Lies" and "Nature's Love" by Solid Reputation, "So Much In Love With You" and "My Time Is Comin" by The Checkerlads, "If You Can Dig It" and "Ode To A Cucumber, A Berry, & A Flower" by The Dewline, "Lexington Avenue" by Farmer John, "Yours Until Tomorrow" and "That's The Tune" by Flying Colours, "To Be Back Home" and "I Brought My Love With Me" by NRG/Merriday Park, and "Baby Get Out" and "Set Me Free" by Portland Street South.

A pretty incredible compilation of Cambodia Rock – the best one we've come across – classic original Khmer Rock from scene pioneer Sinn Sisamouth and many more! The set as an effort to present this fun, groovy and yes, spectacular Cambodian Rock as it was originally heard by the people in its pre-Pol Pot heyday – before the original vinyl releases were hidden away and eventually circulated via low quality cassette bootlegs – and it sounds great! Awesome stuff all around, much of it with a raw garage psych vibe with fuzzed out guitars, heavy drums, woozy organ and male & female lead vocals – always with a groovy rhythm. Includes "Do You No Wrong Again" by Thra Kha Band, "Khnyom Jah Karake" by Tet Somnang & Meas Samon, "Pros Chang Reiy" and "Pail Loung Rom (Go To Dance)" by Pan Ron, "Jet Snaeh Theang Nov" and "Yuvachon Yuvatey Samai Tmai (New Generation Youth" by Sinn Sisamouth & Ros Dereysothea, "Duang Netra" and "Satt Thee Thuy" by Sinn Sisamouth, "Bong Rau Roub Khnyom" by Ros Sereysothea, "Youm Os Tirk Pnake" by Pov Vannary and more. 19 tracks on 2LPs in a nice gatefold sleeve with fairly extensive notes on the back cover and inside the gatefold.

Jazzy vibes – and jazzy sax, trumpet, and keyboards too – all heard in a host of rare cuts from the 70s – pulled together in one massively great batch of music! The set does a great job of digging around the edges of the 70s – moving past too-familiar jazz funk classics, and coming up with numbers that really get at the more sophisticated side of the genre! Most of the work is by relatively well-known artists, but the whole thing's still a nice change from the mainstream, and features loads of rare groove classics – including "In Good Faith" by Norman Harris, "Latin Spirit" by Leon Huff, "Latin Love" by Dexter Wansel, "Cisco Kid" by Reuben Wilson, "Red Beans" by Jimmy McGriff, "Out On The Coast" by Larry Willis, "Give Me Your Love" by Funk Incorporated, "Killing Time" by Natural Essence, "Like A Thief In The Night" by Mike Longo, "Them Changes" by Lionel Hampton, and "Killing Me Softly" by Hysear Don Walker.

An amazing look at an amazing label – the groundbreaking Dandelion Records, an early home to John Peel's much heralded talent for picking up on the best new music! The label only existed for a few short years, but left behind an amazing legacy of music – a blend of folk, rock, and other genres that are usually presented in a deeply personal, sometimes-leftfield sort of way. Peel gave full control of the music and its presentation to the artist – and as a result, most of the tunes here are quite free from cliche and conventional expectations you may have of music from the period. Perhaps the greatest Dandelion contribution was giving a space for up and coming singer/songwriters – and you'll hear plenty of them here alongside other artists who are both more traditional and more experimental. Titles include "To B Without A Hitch" by Bridget St John, "Sleeping Town" by Beau, "All For Tomorrow" by Medicine Head, "Harry Krishna" by Bill Oddie, "Almost Liverpool" by Mike Hart, "Ruby Baby" by Gene Vincent, "You Really Got Me" by Stackwaddy, "Carrie" by Clifford T Ward, "No Tree Will Grow" by Supersister, "Mood" by The Coxhill/Bedford Duo, "Cheat Me" by Kevin Coyne, "Strange Locomotion" by Siren, "King Dick II" by The Way We Live, and "Yamasuki" by The Yamasukis. An amazing package – 3CDs, 64 tracks, and a huge booklet of notes on the label and artists!

An amazing event – recorded two short days before the 2012 rebellion in Northern Mali – documenting one of the last big musical moments that scene might experience for awhile! The mood at the festival is already tense, but thousands have gathered to hear a stunning array of artists – recorded here in a style that's very live, and which does a great job of capturing the spirit of the event, as well as the music. Titles include "Odwa" by Tamnana, "Vaghu" by Noura Mint Seymali, "Dounia" by Baba Djire, "Bisimillah" by Oumar Konate, "Adibar" by Ali Farka Toure, "Wari" by Habib Koite, and "Hymne A La Paix" by Mohamed Alasho.

Important work from Robert Fripp and the brothers Peter & Michael Giles – recorded a year before the first King Crimson album with a mad sound that's somewhere in between Bowie's early Deram recordings, and some of the Syd Barrett work with Pink Floyd! Although Fripp's guitar figures nicely in the sound of the group, the overall style is much more whimsical and heavily arranged than any of his later work – done with a playful blend of strings and piano, and also some surprising jazz undercurrents from time to time. There's none of the overblown modes of the early King Crimson sound – and if anything, the record's a charmingly understated set that's ripe for rediscovery by ears trained on newly revived strands of 60s music! Titles include "The Sun Is Shining", "One In A Million", "Saga Of Rodney Toady", "North Meadow", "Call Tomorrow", "Digging My Lawn", "Erudite Eyes", and "The Crukster".

Gentle grooves from the KPM sound library – two great albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Girl On The Beach – soft, seductive grooves from James Clarke – delivered with a nicely mature feel, and one that really takes Easy up a few notches from conventional 60s forms! There's a subtle Brit feel here that's miles beyond American work of this nature – a way of giving things a gentle sort of funk, even when mellow – thanks to stepping electric bass in the background, really making magic behind some vibes, guitar, and jazzy horns. There's almost a Euro erotic feel to some numbers – and titles include "Little Racer", "Girl On The Beach", "Edge Of The World", "Running Away", "Feet In The Sea", and "Nocturne". Gentle Sounds is a set that definitely lives up to its title – and a record that features great KPM work from Johnny Pearson, Keith Mansfield, and Steve Gray! There's some subtle rhythms on most tracks – grooves, but gentle ones – often with some Latin or bossa percussion elements in the mix, blended with other instrumentation that includes acoustic guitar, flute, trumpet, and marimbas – all delivered with a beautifully mature style. This is grown-up late 60s Easy at its best – the kind that hit the best acoustics of the FM dial, for adults who really knew how to choose their sounds wisely. Titles include "The End Of The Day", "Please Mr Pearson", "Quiet Interlude", "Soft Sell", "Floating Bossa", and "Quiet Waltz".

An overlooked treasure from the Atlantic vaults – the first album by The Dynamics, and arguably a much greater record than the group's better-known set from the 70s! The Dynamics were a Detroit group from the late 60s, with that heavy harmony sound that was becoming a standard for the city's soul scene – and they were managed by Aretha Franklin's husband Ted White, who was probably responsible for getting them to record at Atlantic. Oddly, this session was recorded in Memphis, not Detroit – with production by Tommy Cogbill and Chips Moman – who give the group a deep soul bottom that adds a lot to their still-rough vocal style. There's a great mix of deep and smooth going on here – a style that reminds us a bit of the few great Memphis vocal groups of the period, but which also has a Detroit tightness at times too. The tracks are a great mix of originals by Don Mancha, Fred Baker, Ronnie Shannon, and others – and titles include "Ain't No Love At All", "I Don't Want Nobody To Lead Me On", "What Would I Do", "Fair Love", and "Murder In the First Degree". A killer, and the kind of record you started collecting soul for!

Two Amphonic sound library sets – back to back on a single CD! Shades Of Grey is a great set from Steve Gray – with some killer smooth jazz funk numbers! The feel's like a hip late 70s soundtrack, surprisingly wonderful overall – nice and tight, but never too uptight – that wonderful balance you'd find on some of the best sound library sets of the time! Steve Gray's at his best throughout – leading a large ensemble with the deftness of some of the best soundtrack maestros of the time – and titles include "El Sol", "Finely Fluted", "Simply Sophisticated", "Bill's Basement", "Only A Dream Away", and "Powerdrive". Brit Easy genius Syd Dale takes the helm on It's A Colourful World – a warm set of instrumental tunes dedicated to the west coast – topped with a San Francisco cover image, but with more than enough modes to stretch down highway 101 to Los Angeles! The sound is almost more early 70s than you'd guess from the date – not entirely funky, but quite picturesque – mixing some warm TV-styled soundtrack styles with evocative horns and woodwinds. Titles include "San Francisco Bay", "Redwood Valley", "Flamingo Parade", "The Puppet Factory", "Pink Bacardi", "Dancing At The Palace", and "French Lace".

Diplo's back as Major Lazer – which is now a full-fledged all star project – and still steeped in big, boundary-busting, floor-shaking dancehall influences – with appearances by Santigold, Bruno Mars, Vybes Kartel, Amber from Dirty Projectors, Elephant Man, Wyclef, Shaggy, Opal, Ms. Dynamite, Flux Pavilion and more! There's a real love for genuine digital dancehall and diverse avant dancefloor, but with some tricked out atmosphere all its own and wildly unpredictable, yet still infection vibe that's pure Diplo. Titles include "You're No Good", "Jet Blue Jet", "Jah No Partial", "Scare Me", "Jessica", "Keep Cool", "Sweat", "Bubble Butt", "Reach For The Stars", "Mashup The Dance", "Watch Out For This (Bumaye)", "Playground" and more.

Mindblowing! This is when Wes Montgomery really starts to get interesting to us – when he's working with a top-line arranger like Don Sebesky, crafting some incredibly compelling chords over lightly jazzy arrangements and soaring strings, in a whole new mode of expression that would go onto transform a generation of guitar players! And sure, this album sold a gazillion copies – but we'll be honest in saying that we think it's loads more complex and mature than some of Wes' straight jazz sides from earlier years – light years away from the small combo dates of the early years, both in conception and sound. Titles include "Day In The Life", "Watch What Happens", "California Nights", "Windy", "Trust In Me", and "The Joker".

A pair of albums from one of the greatest sax talents in 60s England – in a 2CD set! Here And Now And Sounding Good was recorded in '66 and it's one of his best albums! Tenorist Morrissey had a talent level that put him right up there with giants Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott – and like the former, he really grew as a musician during the 60s, picking up a lot of modern styles and influences that tremendously expanded his sound. This rare session is simply amazing – filled with original tracks that stretch out with an energy level that really grabs us right away – not really Coltrane-ish, but clearly Coltrane-inspired – with a warmth and sense of exploration that was Morrisey's own. Titles include "Sunday Lunch", "Don't Fall Over The Bridge", "El Schtuck", and "Off The Wagon". Storm Warning is another treasure – the kind of rare jazz album that keeps us digging over and over as years go on! There's a little bit of modern style in his blowing for this set, sneaking in through some more traditional solos – almost like Sonny Rollins in his best RCA years. And like Sonny in those years, Dick's playing here with a really great group that's the perfect model of creative understatement – Phil Seamen on drums, Harry South on piano, and Phil Bates on bass. Tracks include "March On", "Storm Warning", "What Is There To Say", and "Wind Of Change".

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". This great CD reissue also adds a whole bunch of extra cuts to the original album, including new material never heard before, and a trio version of "Que Pasa". 10 cuts in all!

Easy listening, but done the KPM Sound Library way – which means that most of the cuts here have a great undercurrent of funk! Given that KPM often employed the same artists who recorded the style of funky easy featured on the famous Sound Gallery compilations, you can bet that this set's a wicked winner – none of the sleepy sounds you'd get from American easy listening, and instead plenty of cool keyboards, slinky rhythms, and sweetly jazzy instrumentation – the best modes learned by the sound library scene in the 60s, taken here to some warmer 70s territory! Titles include "Airport People" by James Clarke, "Finding My Feet" by Steve Gray, "Scenic Route" by Dick Doerschuk, "Scenic Journey" by Keith Mansfield, "Summer Setting" by Keith Mansfield, "Light Preparation" by Nick Ingman, "Natural Blonde" by David Gold, "Sun Goddess" by Keith Mansfield, "Just Another Day" by David Lindup, "Sweet Summer" by Alan Parker, and "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron.

A pair of obscure soundtracks, both with a western theme – fitting together surprisingly well on a single CD! Hud is one of Paul Newman's finest early moments on screen – scored beautifully here by Elmer Bernstein, who shows a surprisingly deft ear for guitar lines – spun out in ways that are almost more folksy than the usual soundtrack of this type, and a real change from some of the jazzier, more dramatic Bernstein work of the late 50s. The CD features both film tracks that are mostly guitar, and alternates for a chamber orchestra – plus a few bonus tracks by other artists too. Titles include "Flower Bed", "Quarantine Sign", "Lonely Corrals", "Bonaparte's Retreat", and "Prelude". Next is Nathan Van Cleve's score for The Lonely Man – an obscure Anthony Perkins western, with a sweet title track sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford! The instrumental numbers carry the spirit of the theme nicely – a warm, slightly romanticized Hollywood version of the west – often using acoustic guitar and harmonica alongside more conventional orchestrations. Titles include "Losing The Stallion", "The Trek", "The Prodigal Father", "The Deserted Bonanza", and "Death At The Bonanza".

The fantastic first album by Cerrone – a landmark disco record that features the 16 minute long "Love In C Minor" – a swirling bit of strings, beats, and female voices – one of those tunes that forever went onto change the face of dance music in the 70s! Cerrone really set up a whole new blueprint for club here – stretching things out plenty, and layering in subtle time and chord shifts that expose the proggish influences that filtered into French club as the 70s wore on! The title track's got some nice keyboards by the great Alan Hawkshaw – who sounds even better on the album's cool disco version of "Black Is Black" and the tight snare-beat original, "Midnite Lady".

We've heard the original title version of "My Favorite Things" a million times – but it still blows our mind the way Coltrane hits this incredibly soulful modal groove, twisting and turning on soprano sax, always keeping things interesting, so that we're surprised that the cut's gone by so quickly!

Early funk from the Commodores – back in the days when Lionel Richie could still get up and groove! We'll be the first to admit that we're sometimes put off by the group, given their later hits, but it's records like this that actually remind us how great they could be – a mixture of funk and sweet soul, done with an incredibly well-crafted approach, and enough of a blend of the two styles to keep things interesting! The album's got a wonderfully tight quality – never slick or too smooth, but just nicely put together – commercial, but not so much so that it loses its soul. Titles include "Quick Draw", "Just To Be Close To You", "High On Sunshine", "Let's Get Started", "Can't Let You Tease Me", "Come Inside", and "Thumpin Music".

Dr. John's second record, cut back in the days when there was a lot more freakiness to his bag – as you'll notice by his eyeballs in the photo on the back cover! The tracks are wild, funky, and messed-up New Orleans R&B filtered through a heavy dose of psychedelics – a unique little mix that countless others copied in later years, but which John did better than anyone else! Harold Battiste produced and arranged – and tracks include "Mama Roux", "Croker Courtbullion", "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", and the original version of "I Walk On Guilded Splinters".

Dylan & The Band's legendary Basement Tapes – those amazing late 60s Woodstock recordings – and an album that was a classic long before it was officially released in the mid 70s! Bootleg after bootleg of some these recordings might have sold enough copies on the grey market in the early 70s to go platinum back in the day, so there's little wonder that Columbia would finally get some kind of official release out there – and it lives up to the legend! Dylan's conversational, seemingly spontaneous lyricism stretches over a good portion of it, with some much more soulful numbers, too – and those are all the more effective with The Band's incredible instrumentation, backing and occasional lead vocals. Includes "Odds And Ends", "Million Dollar Bash", "Tears Of Rage", "Tiny Montgomery", "Nothing Was Delivered", "Too Much Of Nothing", "Clothes Line Saga", "You Ain't Goin Nowhere", "Open The Door, Homer", "This Wheel's On Fire, "Crash On the Levee (Down In The Flood)", "Long Distance Operator".

A stunner of a funk album – a must-have for any fan of all things funky! This is the one-and-only record cut by the Fabulous Counts, a version of the Counts before they recorded for Westbound – and nearly every cut is a funky 45-type gem! The group's got a hard and heavy sound that mixed conga grooving at the bottom, guitar jamming in the middle, and lots of funky horns over the top – and the instrumental sound of the record is a non-stop funky party all the way through – all top-shelf material all the way through, with a sound that few other combos can match! The title track is an awesome groover – and the record features lots of other nice ones, like "Dirty Red", "Who's Making Love", "Girl From Kenya', "The Other Thing", "Scrambled Eggs", and "The Bite".

A landmark in British jazz – one of the first albums from Michael Garrick's famous ensemble that also included Joe Harriott on alto sax and Shake Keane on trumpet! The group was one of the hippest of the time – and worked in a blend of modal, tonal, and modern jazz – with Garrick's piano, the bass of Coleridge Goode, and drums of Colin Barnes supporting the core of the group – and the horns of Keane and Harriott coming together in evocative snaking lines. The sound is great – with the trio carrying the set on a few of the tracks, and the full quintet on most of the others – and titles include "Sweet & Sugary Candy", "Anthem", "Blue Scene", "Faries Of Oneiros", "Seven Pillars", "Return Of An Angel", and "Sketches Of Israel". Added to the original album is work from the Wedding Hymn EP – a rare 45 that featured the same group working alongside added church organ and choir – on the tunes "Wedding Hymn" and "Anthem".

A landmark in British jazz – one of the first albums of the 60s to really break from an older English jazz style, and set the stage for countless experiments to come! Pianist Michael Garrick leads a tremendous group that includes Joe Harriott on alto sax, Ian Carr on trumpet, Tony Coe on tenor, and Coleridge Goode on bass – and the album blends together lyrical originals by Garrick with a darker, edgier, almost unsettled approach that provides tremendous contrast on a few of the tunes. There's a wealth of color, tone, and emotion in this album just waiting to be discovered – and for all players involved, it's a rare moment of genius that should be treasured forever! Titles include "Parting Is Such", "Merlin The Wizard", "Thing Of Beauty", "Second Coming", "Requiem", and "Song By The Sea".

With work from Lionel Hampton on vibes, Roy Eldridge on trumpet,a nd Lou Levy on piano. Titles include "Soft Winds", "It Never Entered My Mind", "Blues For Janet", and "Cherokee".

A pair of late 60s gems from Jackie Gleason – back to back on a single CD! Silk N Brass features smooth groovy sounds from Jackie Gleason – a set that definitely serves up the silk and brass promised in the title – but which also features some nice solo work too – thanks to tenor from Charlie Ventura and trumpet from Pee Wee Ervin! There's a slight mid 60s groove to the record – one that's different than the sleepier sounds of Jackie's work from the previous decade – and arrangements by George Williams have a nice bounce at points. Titles include "Real Live Girl", "Girl From Ipanema", "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place", "Begin To Love", "It's Such A Happy Day", and "Starry-Eyed & Breathless". The Now Sound is a record that's definitely after our own heart – in case you couldn't tell from the title! The set has Jackie Gleason expanding his bag a bit for the late 60s – moving from the easy sound to the "Now Sound" – with the help of some cool electric sitar, pictured on the front of the set – and other hip instrumentation from Tom Scott on flutes, Milt Holland on tabla, and Emil Richards on a range of exotic percussion! The album's as totally wild and exotic as similar efforts on Impulse or Verve, but the record's still a great batch of "establishment hip" instrumentals – which shows Jackie trying to get a little hip for the times. George Williams handles arrangements, still with lots of the trademark Gleason strings – and titles include "Live For Life", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", "It Must Be Him", and "I Won't Cry Anymore".

A windy city hero – the amazing Garland Green, a singer who makes us mighty proud we hail from Chicago! Garland's got an incredible style that few others can touch – partly schooled in the 60s iceman modes of Jerry Butler and Walter Jackson, with all the sophistication that might imply – but also often given a raspier twist, with slightly southern echoes that make Garland's music feel even more deeply personal! And while most folks know Green's big hits for the Uni label, this package shows a rich legacy that goes much father than that – work recorded for labels that include Cotillion, Spring, RCA, Ocean Front, and Revue – in addition to some key Uni tracks. This trans-label set really does a wonderful job of showing the full range of Garland's mighty talents – a sublime set of soul cuts that run from the start of the 70s right up to the early 80s modern years – packaged with detailed notes too. Titles include "Since You've Been Gone", "These Arms", "Just Loving You", "Just My Way Of Loving You", "He Didn't Know", "Don't Think That I'm A Violent Guy", "Love's Calling", "Just What The Doctor Ordered", "Sweet Loving Woman", "Ask Me What You Want", "You Played On A Player", "Don't Let Love Walk Out On Us", and "Sending My Best Wishes".

A groovy dream come true – the complete studio recordings of German bandleader Peter Herbolzheimer – easily one of the funkiest European talents of the 70s! Although Herbolzheimer's got a clunky name, his sound is incredibly fluid and tight – a large group approach to funk that rivals some of the best American work of his time – including classics from Lalo Schifrin, Johnny Pate, and other key maestros of the blacksploitation era. Peter's got a way of taking a large group of players and really making them groove – a sound that's kind of an electrified extension of the styles first laid out at MPS by the Clarke-Boland Big Band, but served up with a hipper, funkier 70s approach to rhythm. Like the CBBB, Herbholzheimer's groups often feature American players – such as Art Farmer on trumpet or Herb Geller on saxes – alongside more familiar MPS talents like Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Dieter Reith on organ, Ferdinand Povel on flute, Jiggs Whigham on trombone, and Sigi Schwab on guitar – joined by the legendary Sabu Martinez on a few of the best sessions here! The 4CD set is a massive discovery in music – as it features not only Herbholzheimer's Rhythm & Brass albums for MPS and Polydor, but also records under the group names Certain Lions & Tigers and The Galactic Light Orchestra. The package features a whopping 8 albums in all – Soul Condor, Time Travellers Galaxis, Waitaminute, Wide Open, Hip Walk, Touchdown, and I Hear Voices – most of which have never been reissued before – a whopping 61 long funky jazz tracks!

Overlooked 70s genius from The Impressions – 2 killer albums back to back on a single CD! Loving Power is later Curtom work from the group – but still plenty darn nice, with a super-dope vocal harmony approach on the best tracks! The title cut is worth the price of admission alone – as it's a slow-stepping harmony tune that really burns with a sweet mellow feel – sung to perfection by a quartet lineup that includes younger singers Ralph Johnson and Reggie Torian working with older Impressions Fred Cash and Sam Gooden. Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy had a good hand in much of the record – bringing it into the warm, sophisti-soul style they were using at the time – and arrangements include some great work by Richard Evans and Rich Tufo. Titles include "Loving Power", "If You Have To Ask", "Sunshine", and "I Can't Wait To See You". It's About Time is The Impressions first album for Cotillion, cut after a great 70s run on Curtom – but one that's done with a sound that still carries on the groove nicely! The more righteous tones of the earlier work are shaken loose a bit, to be replaced by a fuller approach to the music built from arrangements by HB Barnum, Gene Page, and Gil Askey – a bit more LA than Chicago, but with a soaringly soulful quality that almost recalls the sound of The Spinners during their best Philly years. As with that work, the harmonies here are all right on the money, and get plenty of space to sparkle amidst the full strings and tight rhythms – and new group member Nate Evans really brings a deep sense of soul to the group's work. Many tunes were written by the team of Mervin Seals and Melvin Steals – and titles include "I'm A Fool For Love", "Same Old Heartaches", "This Time", "Stardust", "I Need You", and "What Might Have Been".

Early early early work by The Isley Brothers – an album built around their huge rock and roll hit "Shout" – one of those numbers you've heard a million times, in a million versions, and which you've probably forgotten came from the first trio of Isleys way back before they turned into one of the biggest funky soul acts of the 70s! "Shout" is offered here in 2 parts, and other tracks include "Ring A Ling A Ling", "Without A Song", "That Lucky Old Sun", and "Yes Indeed".

Perhaps THE greatest Quincy Jones album of the 60s – a hard-swinging batch of big band bossa tunes – and one of the greatest American takes on the bossa sound ever! Quincy really brings a lot of soul to the set – syncopating the bottom end of the tunes to really bring out the rhythms, and working with a jazzy flourish of horns that creates all these quick and clever little turns in the tunes! The sound's been heard most famously on the incredible track "Soul Bossa Nova" – an original by Quincy for the set, which has gone onto much greater fame through its use in the film Austin Powers, and a bazillion TV commercials! But the whole album's great too – and other tracks include "Serenata", "Lalo Bossa Nova", "Boogie Bossa Nova", and "Chega De Saudade".

Classic bit of 70s fusion, played by Ronnie on tenor and flute, and with a group that includes some excellent keyboard work by Joe Sample. The highlight of the record is the big sample cut "Tidal Wave", but it also includes the great groover "Always There", which was covered a million times over by other bands during the 70's. Wayne Henderson produced, and the record is an archetypal example of his "At Home Productions" sound.

Classic bit of 70's fusion, played by Ronnie on tenor and flute, and with a group that includes some excellent keyboard work by Joe Sample. The highlight of the record is the big sample cut "Tidal Wave", but it also includes the great groover "Always There", which was covered a million times over by other bands during the 70's. Wayne Henderson produced, and the record is an archetypal example of his "At Home Productions" sound.

A lavish book that documents the rich graphic legacy of McSweeney's – a press that makes books as beautiful to view as they are to read – thanks to work from some of the most forward-thinking graphic artists around! The huge volume features hundreds of images – from rough sketches to final publications – showing the full range of creative process that goes into each publication – not just the McSweeney's journal, individual books, and other projects as well! The book features contributions and commentary from a huge cast of folks – including Chris Ware, Michael Chabon, Charles Burns, Joyce Carol Oates, Dave Eggers, David Byrne, Tony Millionaire, and many others – and features loads of full-color images too. 262 pages, hardcover, and coffee table-sized!

An album of fragile beauty and buried darkness – in a space that's somewhere between the work of Nico and Brigitte Fontaine, but a fair bit sweeter overall! Emmanuelle Parrenin sings here in a timeless style that might almost be called folksy – especially in the return to tradition styles of the UK 70s scene – but it's also got a slightly headier feel overall, almost trippy at times, with a sense of crumbling innocence that's further underscored by spare instrumentation that includes hurdy-gurdy, spinet, and dulcimer. Most tunes just feature vocals and some combination of these instruments – and a few numbers feature slightly larger backing, but never a full group mode. Titles include "Ritournelle", "Leiturgie", "Copraze", "Lecharpe De Soie", "Ce Matin A Fremontel", and "Belle Virginie". Amazing vinyl reissue – very heavy cover and vinyl, and beautifully done overall!

Lee Perry's monster dub records – Super Ape and Return Of The Super Ape – in a 2CD set with bonus tracks! Super Ape is an essential dub album, rendering Scratch's dense, multi-layered Black Ark rhythms in all their raw glory, with toasts and vocal snippets darting in and out of the dubs courtesy Prince Jazzbo, the Heptones, Dillinger and Scratch himself. Includes "Zion's Blood", "Croaking Lizard", "Dread Lion", "Patience", "Dub Along", "Black Vest", "Underground", "Curly Dub" "Three In One", "Super Ape" and more. Return Of The Super Ape is instrumental, but not strictly dub, and some cuts do have Perry's vocals on top. Slow rolling and a bit murky, yet infused with Perry's unique vision. Includes "Bird In Hand", "Psyche And Trim", "Huzza A Haha", "High Rankin Sammy" and many more. Each CD has a slew of bonus tracks – 11 in all: "When Jah Come", "From Creation", "Sufferer's Time (extended version)", "Party Time Parts 1 & 2" and more.

A stunner! High Plains Drifter collects material from the mighty Lee Perry during the crucially creative and fertile period between 1968 & 1973 – in which he founded the Upsetter imprint and had some chart success. It was such a productive period, resulting in hundreds of singles and a number of albums, that a whole bunch of incredible music made during it has been pretty badly overlooked over the years! This set on the always great Pressure Sounds puts together 20 of those – many of them simmering with quite a funky sound! Killer organ grooves and smoking rhythms highlight numbers by Val Bennett, The Mellowtones, The Ethiopians, Junior Byles and, of course, the amazing Upsetters! Glen Adams and Winston Wright handle those organs, sax by Tommy McCook, bass by Aston Barrett, trumpet by Bobby Ellis and other legendary instrumentalists, plus Lee Perry on percussion and production. Includes "Val Blows In" by Val Bennett & The Upsetters, "Boss" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "High Plains Drifter", "The Man With No Name" and "Amigo" by The Upsetters, "It's Growing" by Busty Brown & The Upsetters, "What's Wrong With You" by The Bleechers, "He Don't Love You" by The Silvertones, "Awake" by The Ethiopians, "A Big Joke" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Rockfort Psychedelion" by Count Sticky & The Upsetters, "Iniquity Workers" by The Faithful Brothers, "Rip Up Festival '71" by Junior Byles & Righteous Upsetters and more.

A killer debut from Rasputin Stash – a funky group who work with all the long-haired inspiration you'd expect from their name! The groove is a mix of guitars and tight horns – undercut by the kind of heavy basslines that later made the group a good fit for Curtom Records, and lots of cool percussion touches that pepper the bottom of the rhythms nicely – with a pretty spontaneous feel! At times, there's almost a Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band vibe to the record, but mixed with some of the trippier influences of the Westbound crew – especially on the guitar – and like those artists, these guys have no trouble at all dipping into a touch of rock here and there to trip out their groove. Titles include "Mr Cool", "You Are My Flower", "Dookey Shoe", "I Want To Say You're Welcome", "Take Me On Back", and "Freaks Prayer".

Tracks include "Dr Trevis", "Bobyahed2dis", "Journey Throo Da Darkside", "A Million And 1 Buddah Spots", "Noorotic", "Cosmic Slop", "Rockafella (R.I.P.)", "Rockafella", "Can't Wait", "Wuditlooklike", Sooperman Luva II", "We Run N.Y.", and more.

The dancefloor just got a whole lot funkier – thanks to an incredible selection of rare disco and club tracks from the best years of the genre! The set list here is really amazing – the kind of tunes that rarely turn up this easily, and never in such a cohesive package – and our hats are off to compiler Al Kent for putting together such a wonderfully tasty set! Most numbers here are from the mid to late 70s – and showcase a soulfully grooving approach to disco – one that's free from the cliches of the mainstream side of the genre, and which features plenty of real soul vocals alongside uptempo funky instrumentation that usually features a few odd twists and turns! Most numbers are edited by Al Kent, sometimes in very subtle ways, and include "cover ups" billed to other artists – and the package essentially brings together material from Kent's previous CD series of the same name – but with revised track order, wonderful packaging, and a bonus poster! There's a whopping 45 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Love Is All Around" by Sizzle, "I've Been Searching" by Arts & Crafts, "Get Ready" by Allan Harris & Perpetual Motion, "Sweet Jazz Music" by Panache, "To Be With You" by Jimmy Sabater, "Funkathone" by The People's Workshop, "Just Friends" by Silver Platinum & Gold, "Why In The World Do They Keep On" by Executive Suite, "Dancing Free" by Hot Ice, "Doing Our Own Thang" by Al Tanner, "Fear" by Arthur King, "Party Together" by Superbs, "How Can I Tell Her" by Curtis, "Giving It All To You" by Cheryl Berdell, "We've Got It" by Sylvano Santorio, and "Sound Of Disco Rock" by Stringfield Family.

Soul sounds that work perfectly together – on a set that's maybe the most compelling of the Soul Togetherness series so far! There's loads of great contemporary numbers here – some nuggets from the underground, a few more mainstream tracks, and even a few mixes that really transform the tunes – making their key appearance here in CD format. The vibe is deeply soulful throughout – as the set's put together by folks who also have a strong ear for classic soul and funk – and titles include "Turn It Up" by Kenny Thomas, "Don't Give Up" by Aaries, "Taking It Too Far" by Big Brooklyn Red, "Don't Wanna Wait" by Lew Kirton, "Save Our Freedom" by Bah Samba, "Running Around" by Cool Million, "1960 What (Opolopo kick & bass rerub)" by Gregory Porter, "Woo" by Anthony Hamilton, "Let It Go" by Jazzanova, "Thinking About You" by Maurissa Rose, "Share My Love" by R Kelly, and "You Did It Again" by Soulpersona & Princess Freesia.