A true masterpiece of late 60s pop – music originally recorded for a TV special in 1969 – and one of the Kinks' greatest albums ever! The semi-concept album traces the woes, worries, and hopes of a British family, as one half is on the verge of emigration to Australia. The work comes out of the sort of songwriting that Ray Davies had been perfecting on albums like Village Green and Something Else – but the overall style is more sophisticated, yet not nearly as self-indulgent as some of the 70s concept clunkers. Instead, the songs are brilliantly tight, and stand on their own well past the concept of the original album. Titles include "Victoria", "Brainwashed", "Australia", "Shangri-La", "Mr Churchill Says", and "Yes Sir No Sir". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that maybe marked the close of one chapter of The Kinks, and the start of another – music that still holds on to some of the best elements of their late 60s Village Green era, but which also moves the group into some of the headier territory of their Muswell Hill/RCA years too! Ray Davies has never sounded more earnest – still able to pull off wit when needed, but also more down to earth – and because of the massive title hit, the set was also one that put the group in front of the ears or more folks than had been hearing them in previous years. Titles include, of course, the mega-hit "Lola" – plus "This Time Tomorrow", "Apeman", "Strangers", "The Contenders", "Long Way From Home", "Rats", and "Top Of The Pops". LP, Vinyl record album

A record cut at a time when Brazilian singer Ivan Lins was enjoying a great wave of international fame – a moment that resulted in music that almost had him reaching out as a majestic singer, able to inspire the whole world at once, rather than just the mainstream audiences back home in Brazil! The set's got this quality that's very positive and uplifting – almost as if Lins is borrowing a bit from the production and arrangements that Milton Nascimento was using, but giving it a more personal twist with his excellent songwriting. And the whole thing's tight, but never slick – that careful balance that Brazilian artists could always reach, at a time when American singers would always sound too clunkily commercial. Ivan's voice is wonderful throughout – able to communicate volumes, even if you can't understand his language – and titles include "Pontas Cardeias", "Leva E Traz", "Clareou", "Awa Yio", and "Cru Cre Corroro". CD

A mindblowing set from Little Richard – a stunning comeback session from the start of the 70s – recorded at Muscle Shoals with a heavy funk component in the mix! Richard arranged and produced the record himself – and it's a beautiful illustration of his genius – hardly dimmed at this point in his career, and if anything, really redefined for a new generation – with some razor-sharp grooves that are perfect for his hard-wailing vocals! The title cut – "The Rill Thing" – is a monster 10 minute instrumental jam, with a heavy funk sound that you can't even begin to imagine – and the rest of the set is pretty amazing too, with tracks that include "Spreadin' Natta What's The Matter", "Freedom Blues", "Two Time Loser", "Somebody Saw You", "Lovesick Blues", and "Greenwood Mississippi". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", "In The Chapel In The Moonlight", "Houston", "(Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You", "I Can't Help Remembering You", "Nobody's Baby Again", "Every Minute, Every Hour", "Bumming Around", "You'll Always Be The One I Love", "Come Running Back", and "The Birds And The Bees". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Dino's early years at Reprise! French Style has Dean working with jazzy Neal Hefti arrangements – and singing the kind of postwar tunes that always evoked at bit of Paris, but which were mostly English language numbers – titles like "Gigi", "I Love Paris", "Mimi", "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup", "The Last Time I Saw Paris", and "Mam'selle". Despite the gimmick, the album comes off surprisingly well thanks to Dino's sublime vocal work! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet Cali set from The Meters – one that loses a bit of their rougher roots, yet still holds onto plenty of funk at the same time! By the mid 70s, the New Orleans soul sound had broken out of the underground, was residing happily in mainstream LA. Allen Toussaint already produced a bucketful of albums for Warner Brothers, and The Meters themselves are working in a crossover territory that has them touring with the Rolling Stones and hitting a whole new range of college-type audiences. The group's smoothed things out considerably, but still manages to funk nicely at the best moments – in a warmer way than during the Josie Records years, but still with a groove that's much deeper than most of their contemporaries. Titles are a much a "trick bag" as the title – with a cover of Earl King's "Trick Bag" that features guest vocals by Earl, a remake of "(Doodle Loop) The World is a Little Bit Under the Weather", one of their best from the Josie days, a cover of "Honky Tonk Woman", which we can only assume was played on tour with The Stones – plus the original cuts "Chug A Lug", "Mister Moon", and "Find Yourself". Includes the bonus tracks "Love The One You're With", "What More Can I Do?", "Down By The River", "Come Together" & "Big Chief". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Joni Mitchell – and maybe one of the most go-to records in her legendary catalog! The record set a new high mark for singer/songwriter material in the 70s – and there's an intimate, upfront quality here that's even more striking than Mitchell's early work – personal storytelling, with a slightly poetic vibe, set to spare acoustic backing that really makes the presence of the lyrics stand out even more. Well worth all the praise and attention the album's gotten for decades – with titles that include "All I Want", "My Old Man", "Little Green", "Carey", "Blue", "California", "This Flight Tonight", "River", "A Case Of You", and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". CD

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Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". LP, Vinyl record album

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Produced by Jeff Lynne, Mark Knopfler, and James Newton Howard – and titles include "Masterman & Baby J", "Roll With The Punches", "Falling In Love", "Bad News From Home", "Dixie Flyer", "New Orleans Wins The War", and "Red Bandana". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that will make you forgive Randy for all the later sweeter soundtrack work! Titles include "Burn On", "God's Song", "Political Science", "Old Man", "He Gives Us All His Love", and "Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear". CD

Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied". CD

Incredible work from Nico – easily one of her most haunting albums ever, and a huge step forward even from the sublime Chelsea Girl record! John Cale produced and arranged the album, and plays some extra-spooky harmonium throughout – an instrument that's got the same low, dead tones as Nico's vocals – which makes for a wonderfully haunting blend! Parts of the record echo the minimal explorations that Cale did with Terry Riley, but in a different way – with heroin definitely playing strongly as part of the aesthetic. The album's a gem through and through – definitely one of the few crucial solo works from Nico – and titles include "My Only Child", "All That Is My Own", "Afraid", "Janitor Of Lunacy", and "Abschied". LP, Vinyl record album

The British Invasion, served up by 60s LA – as the hits of Lennon & McCartney are recast as groovy instrumentals through the studio talents of Jack Nitzsche! The cover promises "The Greatest Hits Of All Times – Arranged For The Greatest Dancing Of All Time" – and while we can't promise that these tunes are dancefloor material for everyone, they still come out sounding pretty darn great – more in a rocking American way, with lots of double-timed rhythms, honking sax bits, and strutting guitars that are a good deal fiercer than the jangle pop of the originals. Titles include "Chains", "She Loves You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "From Me To You", "Please Please Me", "All My Loving", and "It Won't Be Long" – plus the Nitzsche originals "Ringo" and "Beatle-Mania". CD

An incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Shake", "Respect", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Otis Redding – and "Like A Rolling Stone", "Rock Me Baby", and "Wild Thing" by Jimi Hendrix. Cassette

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A real standout from Frank Sinatra's years at Reprise – an album that shows the singer working at the full height of all his vocal and emotional powers! The set's not the live album you might guess from the title – and instead, the "concert" setting means that Nelson Riddle uses a very full orchestra on the date – giving Sinatra this wonderfully rich sound that provides the perfect showcase for heartfelt, thoughtful readings of tunes from big shows. One of our all-time Sinatra favorites is the album's sublime reading of "Soliloquy" from Carousel – some of Frank's best acting on record – and other tunes include "Lost In The Stars", "My Heart Stood Still", "Bewitched", "This Nearly Was Mine", and "I Have Dreamed". CD

A real standout from Frank Sinatra's years at Reprise – an album that shows the singer working at the full height of all his vocal and emotional powers! The set's not the live album you might guess from the title – and instead, the "concert" setting means that Nelson Riddle uses a very full orchestra on the date – giving Sinatra this wonderfully rich sound that provides the perfect showcase for heartfelt, thoughtful readings of tunes from big shows. One of our all-time Sinatra favorites is the album's sublime reading of "Soliloquy" from Carousel – some of Frank's best acting on record – and other tunes include "Lost In The Stars", "My Heart Stood Still", "Bewitched", "This Nearly Was Mine", and "I Have Dreamed". LP, Vinyl record album

Arranged by Don Costa – with tracks that include "Rain In My Heart", "Both Sides Now", "Cycles", "Pretty Colors", "Wandering", "Moody River", and "My Way Of Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Nelson Riddle arrangements – and some great tunes from films! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully mature album from Frank Sinatra – a set that has him coming to terms with his time in life, and expressing things with a beautiful quality that almost sets a whole new standard for his work! And in a way, the aesthetic here is almost that which would be picked up by a host of other singers in years to come – the more mature, adult style of singing that came into play at the end of the 60s – a whole new version of masculinity that opened up rich new territory for Sinatra and others. The aging Frank comes off as even more thoughtful, more personal than before – full of wisdom that's brought to play perfectly in the album's classic track "It Was A Very Good Year" – spun out nicely on a host of other gems that include "The September Of My Years", "It Gets Lonely Early", "The Man In The Looking Glass", "Last Night When We Were Young", and "I See It Now". CD

One of Sinatra's greatest records ever – pure genius all the way through! Frank's backed here by the orchestra of Count Basie, with some incredible arrangements by Quincy Jones that really have a jazzy, syncopated kick to them. The move seems to be an unintentional way of covering for Frank's slightly failing pipes – but it also picks up on a seminal beat change in 60s pop, the same sort of gentle snapping groove that you'd find in the best work by Bacharach, a shift that really infuses Frank's vocals with a whole new sound, one that shows that he's ready to keep on growing and growing after being stuck in a Nelson Riddle rut. All tracks are superb – hip 60s pop and showtunes, like "I Believe In You", "Fly Me To the Moon", "More", "The Good Life", "Wives & Lovers", and "I Wanna Be Around". CD

A classic Vegas moment for Sinatra – with accompaniment by Count Basie, and arrangements from Quincy Jones, to boot! The set features some great spoken bits – really one of the first chances the American mainstream got to taste the Vegas vibe – and titles include "It Was A Very Good Year", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Come Fly With Me", "Street Of Dreams", "One For My Baby", and "My Kind Of Town". CD

Another classic in the Lee Hazelwood/Billy Strange mode, featuring some lusty dusky production that gets a lot better work from Nancy than she could ever do on her own! Lots of Hazelwood originals, including "How Does that Grab You, Darlin?", "My Baby Cried All Night Long", "Not the Loving Kind", and "Sand". LP, Vinyl record album

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Take 6's first LP – a return to harmony vocalizing for the 80s, soft-pedalling gospel themes with a smooth finish that shows that the boys can really sing! Titles include "Gold Mine", "Spread Love", "Get Away Jordan", "He Never Sleeps", and "A Quiet Place". CD

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Uncle Tupelo's excellent, unfussy, fairly timeless final album – with equally good songs written by Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy that sound great together even if it's pretty clear in retrospect that they were soon to split up for good. The difference between Uncle Tupelo's loud guitar ragers and folk and roots infused songcraft got a lot more seamless over their years as a band, and on Anodyne they tend to let their rootsier influences shine a little brighter without sacrificing the grit and muscle of the more electric material. This one notably features John Stirratt and Ken Coomer, soon to join Tweedy in Wilco. Includes "Slate", "Acuff-Rose", "The Long Cut", a cover of Doug Sahm's "Give Back The Key To My Heart" featuring Sahm himself on vocals, "Chickamauga", "Anodyne", "15 Keys", "High Water", "Steal The Crumbs" and more. CD

A rootsy group from the Chicago scene, but one with a fair amount of wit, too – a subtle political agenda that's buried a bit beneath more rocking modes, and which really helps set these guys apart from the pack! The songwriting is often pretty smart, at least from a social perspective – couched amidst riffs and rhythms that are more mainstream overall, yet which know how to underscore the right punch of the group's intentions. A key illustration of this fact is the longer "Gospel" track – kind of a mini-suite aimed at Christian radio – but the elements bubble forth on other tunes that include "Rock Garden", "Pot Of Gold", "Reno", and "The Authentic British Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Just a slight step down from the monumental Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., but still a near masterpiece of neo-traditional Bakersfield country. Producer-guitarist Pete Anderson is a wizard for this kind of stuff, and that sharp lap steel sound he captures really needs to be heard on vinyl to be fully appreciated. And lest we forget, Dwight's minimal range and infinite emotion carries that voice further than the best country vocalists out there right now, and he's got the swagger and tight pants to pull it all off even if he wasn't such a pure spirit! Includes Lefty Frizell's immortal "Always Late With Your Kisses", "Smoke Along The Track", "1,000 Miles", "Little Sister", "This Drinkin' Will Kill Me", and more. Great! LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic – with "Southern Man", "Crippled Creek Ferry", "I Believe In You", "After The Goldrush", and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart". CD

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Titles include "Comes A Time", "Human Highway", "Four Strong Winds", "Motorcycle Mama", "Field Of Opportunity", "Lotta Love", and "Look Out For My Love". CD

Titles include "Comes A Time", "Human Highway", "Four Strong Winds", "Motorcycle Mama", "Field Of Opportunity", "Lotta Love", and "Look Out For My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album from Neil Young – recorded during a key 70s stretch, and finally out of the can after decades of being locked away in the vaults! At the time, Neil didn't think the record was as strong as some of his other work – but to us, fans of the man's music, the whole thing is an essential treasure – a nice bridge between a few different modes of his shifting 70s palette, especially since there's some up-close, acoustic numbers that really reveal a personal side of Young, and some of the difficulties he was going through at the time. Titles include "Florida", "Little Wing", "We Don't Smoke It No More", "Separate Ways", "Try", "Mexico", "Star Of Bethlehem", "Vacancy", and "Kansas". CD

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An important early 70s live album from Neil Young – in part because it contains some fresh material, not just live takes of studio songs – and stands at a pivotal time in Young's career and creative development! Neil gets support from the Stray Gators, and the set also features guest appearances from Graham Nash and David Crosby – but it's the melancholia of Young that really dominates the record – almost as if he's sheepish about bringing out some of the new songs, which only seems to give them more resonance overall. Titles include "The Bridge", "Yonder Stands The Sinner", "Time Fades Away", "Journey Through The Past", "LA", "Don't Be Denied", "Love In Mind", and "Last Dance". Includes the bonus track "Last Trip To Tulsa". LP, Vinyl record album

The title might be a bit presumptuous, but the album presents a setting that maybe showcases the poetic style of Neil Young even more than some of his classic studio albums of the time – a live solo date, and one that really brings a new sort of quality to some of the era's more familiar tunes! Young has a moody darkness that's echoed by the image on the cover – and although he later recorded in this mode more often, this concert is one of the earliest examples of Neil standing solo in the spotlight – really bringing a lot of himself to readings of "The Needle & The Damage Done", "Old Man", "Ohio", "Sugar Mountain", "Journey Through The Past", "Don't Let It Bring You Down", "Man Needs A Maid/Heart Of Gold", and "Cowgirl In The Sand". CD

A great 70s session with Crazy Horse – with cuts that include "Cortez The Killer", "Through My Sails", "Barstool Blues", "Danger Bird", "Don't Cry No Tears", "Drive Back", "Stupid Girl", and "Lookin For A Love". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great late 70s moment from Neil Young – with tracks that include "Comes A Time", "After The Gold Rush", "My My Hey Hey", "The Loner", "The Needle & The Damage Done", "Lotta Love", "Cinnamon Girl", and "Like A Hurricane". LP, Vinyl record album

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Frank Zappa & The Mothers, live at the Fillmore East – showing the world they've got plenty of greatness to offer away from the studio! The band here is super-tight – with the ferocity of Chunga's Revenge, but still enough room between the jamming for some mad bits of dialog and vocals – which are then offset by great keyboards and saxes from Ian Underwood, electronics from Don Preston, and heavy drums from Aynsley Dunbar! There's a focus to the sound of the group here that really draws together all the strands from the previous few years – and titles include "The Mud Shark", "What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are", "Willie The Pimp", "Happy Together", "Lonesome Electric Turkey", and "Tears Began To Fall". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing movie in sound – supposedly music (and more) that was going to be used in a film project, issued to the public while Zappa was trying to raise money for production! The album's one of the most tripped-out studio efforts to date from the group – loads of overdubbing, and wonderfully complicated instrumentation – with some especially great keyboards from Don Preston and Ian Underwood, whose keys alone almost preface the future of fusion – while, at the same time, display some key links to 20th century avant music as well! Vocals are dropped in at just the right time, but the instrumental interplay is what really makes the record special – over many short tracks that include "Mr Green Genes", "We Can Shoot You", "Dog Breath Variations", "Sleeping In A Jar", "The Legend Of The Golden Arches", "Uncle Meat", "Cruising For Burgers", and "King Kong" in many variations. CD

The glory days of this legendary group, served up here in a double-length collection of tracks – not just the hits promised in the title, but a few overlooked gems too! The set features 18 tracks in all – and titles include "52 Girls", "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Private Idaho", "Quiche Lorraine", "Mesopotamia", "Strobe Light", "Party Out Of Bounds", "Love Shack", "Good Stuff", "Hallucinating Pluto", "Summer Of Love", "Song For A Future Generation", "Roam", "Channel Z", "Debbie", "Is That You Mo Dean", and "Deadbeat Club". CD

A beautiful and rare recording – both for singer Alice Babs, and Duke Ellington himself! The session was cut in Paris in 1963 – and it's a moody, intimate album that features Duke backing up Alice with arrangements that are quieter and more subtle than those used with most other Ellington-related singers. Alice is extremely great on the set – and often sings in weird wordless vocals – not really scatting, but more of a horn based-style that's very icy and cool. The whole thing's great – much greater even than the sum of its two famous parts – and titles include "Serenade To Sweden", "Stoona", "La De Doody Doo", "Strange Visitor", "Come Sunday", "Babsie", and "Untitled Lullaby". CD

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One of Les Baxter's greatest records – and one of his rarest too, one of the few he cut for Reprise after leaving Capitol! The record is a continuation of Baxter's exotica sound of the late 50s – played with some great help that includes Larry Bunker on vibes and percussion, Clare Fischer on celeste and piano, and Leo Acosta on gourd! The sweetly dreamy sound of Fischer is an especially nice addition – and often creates a gentle flow to tunes that have a more driving approach overall – but it's Les' genius with the arrangements that make the album sparkle most of all, because even familiar tunes are transformed by his exotica magic! Titles include "Slave Ship", "Congale", "Via Veneto", "Night With Cleopatra", "Peking Tiger", and "Fiesta Brava". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "God Only Knows", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Good Vibrations", "Heroes & Villians", "Sloop John B" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, most unusual albums ever from the great John Cale – a set that draws strongly on his roots in the New York underground of the mid 60s – including time spent with Tony Conrad and other experimentalists! The record is almost all instrumental – and has Cale mixing modes that include spare passages that are very evocative and contemplative, with fuller orchestral outbursts that are somewhere in the territory of his material with Terry Riley, but more freewheeling and less minimalist overall. Piano is the main instrument on many numbers, and Cale stuns us with his command of the keyboard – and the album features one striking vocal performance on the song "King Harry", alongside other titles that include "The Philosopher", "Brahms", "Legs Larry At Television Centre", "John Milton", and "Intro/Days Of Steam". CD

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Not as all-out Latin as some of Eddie's other records – but a killer batch of tunes played in his firey style! Eddie's a monster on the piano – hitting the keys with intensely rhythmic lines, backed here by bass, drums, and percussion, and riffing in a style that's at once fast and frenetic, yet also deeply soulful. A very satisfying album – with tracks that include "Blues For Betty", "Sassy Little Girl", "Sakura", "Barsanova Brown", "Green Fields", and "Teach Me Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

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A seminal moment in leftfield music – maybe the crowning achievement of Captain Beefheart, and a landmark collaboration with Frank Zappa as well! Zappa produced, and gave the group plenty of room to stretch out on this double-length set done for his Bizarre Records imprint – which allowed the Captain the kind of freedom that Frank was getting at the time – which meant there was no need for a hit, no need to tone things down, and plenty of patience for all the record's amazing instrumental twists and turns, and Beefheart's madcap sense of humor as well! The Cap sings, and plays saxes and bass clarinet – and the record's got some really incredible guitar work from Zoot Horn Rollo and Antennae Jimmy Semens – really setting the stage for countless other guitarists in years to come. Tracks include "Dachau Blues", "Hair Pie", "Moonlight On Vermont", "Sweet Sweet Bulbs", "China Pig", "My Human Gets Me Blues", and "Dali's Car". CD

One of best ever records by gonzo rock genius Captain Beefheart and his incredible Magic Band – the proper follow up to Trout Mask Replica – and they're still at the height of their powers! Art Tripp's marimba and percussion gives the group an extra rhythmic complexity, not that they EVER lacked for that, even while the bands strips down some of the more meandering tendencies of Trout. They don't skim on the aural art, even with the more focused approach, making one a leaner effort, but just as much a masterpiece. Tracks include "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "I Love You, You Big Dummy", "Bellerin' Plain", "Petrified Forest", and "The Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or The Big Dig)". This may very well be their finest moment. CD

One of best ever records by gonzo rock genius Captain Beefheart and his incredible Magic Band – the proper follow up to Trout Mask Replica – and they;re still at the height of their powers! Art Tripp's marimba and percussion gives the group an extra rhythmic complexity, not that they EVER lacked for that, even while the bands strips down some of the more meandering tendencies of Trout. They don't skim on the aural art, even with the more focused approach, making one a leaner effort, but just as much a masterpiece. Tracks include "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "I Love You, You Big Dummy", "Bellerin' Plain", "Petrified Forest", and "The Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or The Big Dig)". This may very well be their finest moment. CD

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Titles include "How Can You Keep On Moving", "FDR In Trinidad", "On A Monday", "Vigilante Man", "Taxes On The Farmer Feeds Us All", and "Billy The Kid". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Tap Em Up Solid", "I'm A Fool For A Cigareet", "Married Man's A Fool", "Mexican Divorce", and "Ditty Wa Ditty". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of Sammy D's best albums of the late 60s – and a beautiful mix of modes that he explored on the Reprise label! The title track is Sammy's big hit "I've Gotta Be Me", but that tune's followed up with some nice groovers – like Sammy's versions of "My Personal Property" and "I'm a Brass Band" – both pulled from Sweet Charity, a film in which he had a part. Arrangements are by HB Barnum, JJ Johnson, and Richard Wess – and get very nicely jazzy in parts, an aspect that's further emphasized by Jimmy Bowen's great production. Other tracks include "She Believes In Me", "Sweet November", "Here I'll Stay", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "I've Got You Under My Skin". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely wonderful stuff! Live, Sammy D was the most entertaining of all the rat pack – as you'll hear on this excellent concert from 1963 – one of the few recordings that really captures Sammy's genius in all aspects of his talents! The album's got some great straight jazz vocal numbers, a bit of showy hip talk, a tiny bit of Sammy's impersonations of other stars (a lost talent that's rarely survived on other reissues), and a few surprise numbers that are really great. The album's worth it alone for Sammy's fantastic West Side Story medley – done in a swinging jazzy way, with only bongos for accompaniment! Other highlights include "Frank Talk", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", "Once In A Lifetime", "Sammy Looks At Old Movies", "Me & My Shadow", and "Jam Session". LP, Vinyl record album

The greatest entertainer ever? We think so – and this 2LP set offers Sammy D in the best possible way to get him: live, and in the very familiar turf of the Sands Hotel. This live album, and it's counterpart (At The Cocoanut Grove, also on Reprise) are, in our opinion, Sammy's best recordings – because they feature him ripping through a bunch of material, doing lots of great impressions and medleys, and really swinging with a tight little combo led by Michael Silva, the drummer. The groove is really jazzy – way jazzier than on some of Sammy's studio LPs from the time – and he runs through a range of material from pop tunes to standards, done in a style that's far different than you'd expect for the titles. The vocals are tight, heartfelt, but also given a professional little finesse that really makes them sparkle. Titles include "Ain't I", "Another Spring", "On A Clear Day", "As Long As She Needs Me", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and 2 fantastic medleys with lots of jazzy songs. Heck, Dean Martin never got a chance to cut a double live album – and Frank really ever did one – so given that Sammy got a chance to do two of them, you've gotta figure the format really worked for him! This is the real Mr. Entertainment, and you owe it to yourself to hear him as he really was. LP, Vinyl record album

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An early moment of genius from The Electric Prunes – and exactly the kind of record that shows why they were a cut above their contemporaries, and why Warner really backed them strongly right from the start! There's a depth here that rivals some of the group's Sunset Strip contemporaries – and although David Axelrod's not working with them on the record, there's still lots of dark corners and sharp edges – really thoughtful sounds that are spun out wonderfully on fuzzy guitars and organ, with some nicely subtle drums in the rear. Tracks include "I Has Too Much To Dream (Last Night)", "Try Me On For Size", "Get Me To the World On Time", "About A Quarter To Nine", and "Luvin". CD

A beautifully baroque batch of tracks, written and arranged for the Electric Prunes by the great David Axelrod – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that had quite an impact back in the late 60s! The record shows Axelrod's perpetual fascination with the spiritual – mixed with that great modern style of funk that he was forging at Capitol during the late 60s. The record's not really preachy, nor is it proggy. It's more of a complex blueprint of rock, jazz, funk, and touches of soul – all hung together on the same sort of "mass" structure that Axelrod would later use with Cannonball and on his own. Titles include "Kyrie Eleison", "Gloria", "Benedictus", and "Sanctus". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Fagen returns to wrestle with mortality and his own significance on Morph The Cat – his best solo work since Nightfly – and overall a stronger album than Steely Dan's previous effort! We can't pinpoint exactly what makes this one of the better Dan-related efforts off the 00s, but we think it just might be Fagen's tendency to let the tracks on Morph The Cat roll on and groove for a while. (If memory serves, Dan's Everything Must Go was a more tightly punctuated affair.) The keyboards are really rich this time out, propelled by smooth, soulful bass, and the incredibly clean and beautiful sound so necessary to stand behind the man's sardonic, somehow pleasantly caustic wordplay. Tracks include "Morph The Cat", "H Gang", "What I Do", "Brite Nitegown", "The Great Pagoda Of Funn", "Security Joan", "The Night Belongs To Mona", "Mary Shut The Garden Door" and "Morph The Cat (Reprise)". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". CD