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Fuzzed-out LA wonderfulness from Sky Saxon and his legendary Seeds – a garagey barrage of guitar, organ, and raspy vocals – and it's fleshed out brilliantly on this 2CD edition with the complete stereo and mono mixes, alternate versions and the rare original mono version of Sly Saxon's Spoonful Of Seedy Blues album in full! First and foremost is Web Of Sound – virtually the definition for garage rock in the mid 60s – and certainly one of our favorites! It all builds up to the super-long closer "Up In Her Room" – and before that is one raucous should-be classic after another, including "Pictures And Designs", "Just Let Go", "A Faded Picture", "Tripmaker", "Mr Farmer", and "Rollin Machine". Disc One features the stereo version followed by 7 bonus tracks. Disc Two features the mono version of Web Of Sound, followed by the mono version of Sky Saxon's A Full Spoon Of Seedy Blues – a record that really gets at the sheer raw power of his best work! Despite the title, the album's hardly a straight set of blues – more a blend of rock, psychedelia, and rootsy influences – in the manner of some of the earliest work by Love, but done with a healthy nod to Chicago electric blues. Saxon wrote most of the tunes – and titles include "Moth & The Flame", "I'll Help You", "Cry Wolf", "The Gardener", and "Creepin About".

Rare soul from singer Bill Spoon – an artist who only ever issued a few singles, but steps out here with a wealth of previously-unissued tracks! Bill hails from Alabama, but also ended up in Memphis and LA – and the styles here definitely showcase that journey – an evolving approach to soul that's rooted in deeper modes, yet which takes on some great modern aspects as the music moves on – a quality that's not online the shift made by Lamont Dozier in the 70s! The package is only available on vinyl, and features some newly mixed versions of older singles, some previously unissued recordings, and some full length takes too – titles that include "I Can't Wait Until The Weekend", "Kick Back", "Watcha Doin With Your Time", "Be Concerned", "Love Is On The Way", "Thank You Baby", "No way To Live", "After All We've Been Through", and "I'll Always Love You".

A killer – an one of Rufus' first funky numbers! "Sophisticated Sissy" has a snapping, vamping groove that's every bit in the best "Cissy" mode by the Meters – with a horn popping nicely at the bottom of the beat, really setting up a great punch for Rufus' vocals! "Greasy Spoon" is nice too – a raw midtempo swinger with a nice food theme!

"Greasy Spoon" is probably the biggest single ever by organist Hank Marr – a hip little stepper that slinks along at a midtempo pace, Hank's organ in the lead, chopping out the groove, while a tenor sneaks up from behind. "I Can't Go On" is a lot mellower – a late nite ballad, of the sort you'd find on a Gene Ammons album from the same time.

Incredible work from a singer we'd never heard before – but who should have been huge, given the quality of these tunes! Pearl's got an amazing sound that's right out of the "birth of soul" era in which she recorded – a hard soul approach that's steeped in influences from earlier R&B years, but which comes across with a straightforward power that echoes later classics by 60s divas like Aretha Franklin or Fontella Bass. The set's one of the best we've ever seen from the Tuff City soul archives – wonderfully annotated, in a way that tells the full story of Pearl's lost years – and which really gets at the strength and quality of this amazingly soulful work. The set features 19 tracks in all – and titles include "Be My Baby", "My Love Is Your Love", "Sippin Sorrow", "I'll Be A Crybaby From Now On", "Sloppin", "One More Time", "Don't Tell It All", "Stickum Up Baby", "Fool Like Me", and "The Last Mile".

One of the most essential Can albums, and perhaps their best – have drums ever sounded better on a record? Ege Bamyasi features some of Jaki Liebezeit's greatest beats, from the shorter songs like the amazing "Vitamin C", "I'm So Green", and "Spoon", to the longer, stretched out tunes in the tradition of the group's previous masterpiece, Tago Mago – "Pinch", "Soup", and "One More Night". With the classic second lineup, featuring Damo Suzuki on vocals, spouting off in several languages during the course of single song, but with a few instrumental numbers too. Elastic grooves with a driving pulse!

A mid 70s killer from Can – sometimes overlooked next to the early classics, but a record that's filled with equally great charms! Things are still pretty noisy here, and plenty proggy too – thanks to driving drums from Jaki Liebezeit and hypnotic basslines from Holger Czukay and there's a surprising amount of noise in the guitars of Michael Karoli, produced here with a bit more clarity than smaller label records from the German scene – but still never any crisp or commercial qualities either. Irmin Schmidt's keyboards and electronic touches are as wonderful as always – and Czukay's production really helps keep the whole thing on edge throughout! Titles include the long "Unfinished" jam – plus "Full Moon On The Highway", "Half Past One", "Vernal Equinox", and "Hunters & Collectors".

Can opens up a bit with Unlimited Edition – expanding upon their earlier Limited Edition compilation – fleshing out that set of archival Can errata into a sprawling, boundless 70+ minute set of brilliant, yet largely unused genius from the group's earlier archives! Can is legendary for constructing their greatest studio material out of freewheeling studio experimentation, so it stands to reason that there was a whole heck of a lot of worthy material left out. Boy, was there ever! It's got bits from both the Mooney and Suzuki periods, as well as spacious Can instrumental material. It's made up largely of brief bits that didn't find their way into a whole piece, but there's some longer numbers, too – and one epic: the 17+ minute "Cutaway". Titles icnlde "Gomorrha", "Doko E", "The Anpress And The Ukraine Song", "TV Spot", "Mother Upduff", "Connection", "Fall Of Another Year", "Transcendental Express", "Ibis", "Blue Bag (Inside Paper)", "Musette", "EFS No. 10", "I'm Too Leise" and more.

A mighty impressive 3CD box set of previously unreleased Can – incredible stuff captured throughout their groundbreaking run from the late 60s to mid 70s – and culled from hours (and hours!) of tapes of the sessions that could have just as easily wound up on any of their classic records of the period! We figured that this would almost certainly be a solid companion piece to their initial run of classic albums – but the best thing about it is that it out stands up really well on its own. Can pretty famously let the tapes run while they worked things out and let the magic happen spontaneously, so it stands to reason that a lot of brilliant stuff was left on those tapes! We're surprised it took so long to pour through it and assemble some of the best of the "lost" material, but better late than never! Since it covers the full late 60s & early 70s periods, it's got bits with Mooney and Suzuki – and features hypnotic live takes, slow-building tense jams, moody lulls and violent bursts of sound – it's Can, alright! 30 tracks sequenced brilliantly over 3CDs. Titles include "Millionenspiel", "Waiting For The Street Car", "Evening All Day", "Deadly Doris", "Bubble Rap", "Your Friendly Neighborhood Whore", "Bilnd Mirror Sur", "Bubble Rap", "Godzilla Fragment", "Barnacles", "The Agreement", "The Loop", "A Swan Is Born" and more.

Great work from one of the funkiest periods in the career of the Jazz Crusaders – that point when they first dropped the "jazz" from their name, and started moving into groovier territory! The set's a bit electric, but never as much so as their later, bigger hits – just enough so that the basslines bump the tunes along strongly, and the keyboards start to sparkle in the mix too – but still leaving plenty of space for acoustic contributions on piano, trombone, and tenor. Arthur Adams joins the group for a bit of guitar, which is well-placed – and titles include the massive "Pass The Plate" medley, which runs for over 15 minutes – plus "Young Rabbits 71/72", "Goin' Down South", "Listen & You'll See", "Greasy Spoon", and "Treat Me Like Ya Treat Yaself".

Fantastic stuff – incredibly hard and incredibly funky, and a masterpiece all the way through! Long before there was any talk of gangster rap, Jalal of the Last Poets recorded this album of gamblin', pimpin', and hard double dealin'. It's a fantastic album-long ride through the dark side of the black underworld, and is the aural equivalent of a blacksploitation flick. Kool & The Gang provided the music – and Jalal tells the whole story throughout, in the same hard rappin' style he used with the Last Poets! The record's an undisputed classic, and includes the sample classic "Sport", plus loads of other righteous funky cuts like "Spoon", "Grit's Den", and "Sentenced To The Chair"!

A never-ran that should have been huge – four songs from Missouri's Pretty – produced here by Michael Quint from The Electric Prunes – with a fab blend of hard rock, psych, and other tripped-out touches! The music was supposedly recorded in a cave, but has the sound of some of the best from the Sunset Strip scene – that really rare blend of free-thinking and economic action – never too overindulgent, yet always packing a heck of a lot of new ideas into each spin of the single! Only one promo 45 was issued from these sessions – and the double 7" package features full notes on the group, and the tracks "Mustache In Your Face", "The Electric Hand", "Funhouse", and "Red Spoon Gravy".

A tasty live set, with a smoking raw groove that you don't always get on Joe's studio albums! The crowd really goes wild for Joe – and with only some small group backing behind him, he's got nothing left to do but go over the top with his vocals! As proof of that, the record includes the great breakbeat track "Papa Was, Too", with a hard funky beat and sample riff that you'll recognize from way back. (Not only that, but the cut's a great answer to Otis & Carla's famous "Tramp".) Other tracks include the hit "Skinny Legs & All" (an answer to "Big Leg Woman"?), plus "Wooden Spoon", "Don't Give Up", and "Show Me".

A smoking debut from this funky Atlanta combo – a group who've worked together for years, and have a totally top-shelf quality on this first album! Vocalist Ruby Velle is firmly in the lead – hitting hard with a soulful punch that rivals some of the most soulful female singers on funk projects from labels like Tru Thoughts or Record Kicks – working with very sharp rhythms from the Soulphonics combo – whose horns are as sharp as their grooves on drums, bass, and guitar! Titles include "The Man Says", "Medicine Spoon", "The Agenda", "Looking For A Better Thing", "Longview", and "Mr Wrong".

Some of the smoothest funky jazz ever recorded – and a great set of classic 70s tracks by the legendary Crusaders! By the time of these recordings, the group had already performed on countless soul jazz sides of their own, and moved from the 60s into the 70s with a tight brand of groove that was their very own. The group had no trouble crossing the borders between soul, jazz, and R&B – and effortlessly mixed funky rhythms, tight solos, sweet vocals, and impeccable production into a sound that still holds up magically today. This 11 track set features some of the group's best work from their ABC/Blue Thumb years – tunes that include "Street Life", "Way Back Home", "Creole", "Scratch", "Greasy Spoon", "Free As The Wind", "So Far Away", "I Felt The Love", and "Put It Where You Want It".

Great work from one of the funkiest periods in the career of the Jazz Crusaders – that point when they first dropped the "jazz" from their name, and started moving into groovier territory! The set's a bit electric, but never as much so as their later, bigger hits – just enough so that the basslines bump the tunes along strongly, and the keyboards start to sparkle in the mix too – but still leaving plenty of space for acoustic contributions on piano, trombone, and tenor. Arthur Adams joins the group for a bit of guitar, which is well-placed – and titles include the massive "Pass The Plate" medley, which runs for over 15 minutes – plus "Young Rabbits 71/72", "Goin' Down South", "Listen & You'll See", "Greasy Spoon", and "Treat Me Like Ya Treat Yaself".

A landmark album from The Crusaders – and a set that really has them sweetening up their groove with lots of tasty R&B touches! The guitar's a bit more pronounced in the mix on this one – setting up some tightly funky rhythms that almost seem to free up the horns even more for solo work – resulting in a sound that brings together all the best bits of the LA scene into one impeccable album of smooth jazzy funk! Titles includes their classic "Stomp & Buck Dance", plus lots of other nice groovers like "Double Bubble", "Time Bomb", "The Well's Gone Dry", "Whispering Pines", "Lillies Of The Nile", "Greasy Spoon", and "Super Stuff".

Herbie Mann rides his Memphis Underground approach over to London – where he grooves nicely in a similar jazz funk take on that scene's biggest tunes of the time! The set was recorded in the UK, and features hip help from an assortment of rockers – including Mick Taylor and Albert Lee on guitars, Ian MacDonald on alto sax, and Aynsley Dunbar on drums – plus Herbie's frequent partner Pat Rebillot on keyboards. The sound is surprisingly laidback at times – warmly soulful, and a lot less rockish than you might guess for an album with two guitarists in the mix – and titles include "Bitch", "Spin Ball", "Mellow Yellow", "Paper Sun", "Layla", and Herbie's original "Memphis Spoon Bread & Dover Sole" – plus a great Fender Rhodes-heavy take on "You Never Give Me Your Money".

Great work from one of the funkiest periods in the career of the Jazz Crusaders – that point when they first dropped the "jazz" from their name, and started moving into groovier territory! The set's a bit electric, but never as much so as their later, bigger hits – just enough so that the basslines bump the tunes along strongly, and the keyboards start to sparkle in the mix too – but still leaving plenty of space for acoustic contributions on piano, trombone, and tenor. Arthur Adams joins the group for a bit of guitar, which is well-placed – and titles include the massive "Pass The Plate" medley, which runs for over 15 minutes – plus "Young Rabbits 71/72", "Goin' Down South", "Listen & You'll See", "Greasy Spoon", and "Treat Me Like Ya Treat Yaself".

Early soul jazz piano work from Takehiro Honda – recorded in a style that's quite different than most of his later albums! The sound here is full and rich – with Honda's work on the keys augmented by fuller backings arranged by Teddy Adams – all recorded in the US (we think), with a quality that's a fair bit like some of the best soul jazz coming out of LA at the end of the 60s! Honda plays both acoustic and electric piano – and the groove has a hiply vamping style that's always verging on funky, but which is a bit more laidback overall. The record echoes with plenty of the best influences from Les McCann, The Crusaders, Gerald Wilson, and other west coast soul jazz figures – and titles include "Greasy Spoon", "Sham Time", "Ain't Tell You A Good Way But", "Ain't It Funky Now", "What's Going On", and "Check Out Your Mind"

The first two Last Poets albums back to back in one great 2CD set! The Last Poets is the first album by the second group to call themselves the Last Poets – and as fierce a document of their rich talents as you'll ever find – bursting forth with anger and righteousness at a level as tight as Gil Scott-Heron's first album! The group here is the key second lineup of the ensemble of wordsmiths – comprised of Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim, and Omar Ben Hassan, plus the percussionist Nilaja – and most cuts feature only spare percussion backing over the spoken protest poetry – delivered with a brutal edge that really sums up the righteous politics of the time. Titles include "Run, N*gger", "On The Subway", "When The Revolution Comes", "Jones Comin' Down", "Black Thighs", "N*ggers Are Scared Of Revolution", and "Wake Up, N*ggers" – all of which should give you a good picture of what's going on with the record! This Is Madness is one of the Last Poets' greatest albums – and one of their most sophisticated as well! Gone are the rough-hewn rhymes of the group's first album, and in their place are better arranged, more thought-out tracks that mix in a wealth of musical influences – and which expand the group's verbal expression past simple protests, and into the realm of Jazzoetry that became their trademark during the mid 70s. Tracks include "Related to What", "Black Is", "White Man's Got a God Complex", "Black People What Y'All Gonna Do", and "This is Madness" – and a number of tracks are preceded by strong and forceful chants before the lyrics kick in! Deluxe package comes with 2 CDs – and bonus tracks that include "Sport" and "Spoon" by Lightnin Rod – plus "Doriella Du Fontaine", which features Lightnin Rod and Jimi Hendrix!

An obscure record with a silly title – but a seminal batch of southern soul instrumentals, recorded at the height of the Muscle Shoals scene! The record's a really odd one in the Chess catalog – because it's got the feel of a record that should have come out on Atlantic or Capitol, or more appropriately Fame – as Rick Hall arranged and produced the record, and it features instrumentation by all his best Fame Studios session players, including Charlie Chalmers and Andrew Love on tenor, Gene Miller and Wayne Jackson on trumpet, Jimmy Johnson guitar, Spooner Oldham on piano, Carl Banks on organ, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Chalmers handles the main solo lines on tenor – cutting nice King Curtis-y lines over some well crafted southern soul grooves with a strong funky 45 feel. There's some particularly great cuts on the album – and titles include "Night Rumble", "Velvet Soul", "Groovin", "Soulin", "Two In The Morning", and "Poppin".

One of Aretha's undisputed classics – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes 4 bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"!

A warm, southern-inflected batch of bluesy sunshine rock from Dale "The Hawk" Hawkins – best known for gifting the world with his Chess original version of "Suzie Q" back in the late 50s – a big step away from the r&b steeped rockabilly he made his name on a decade earlier! LA, Memphis & Tyler, Texas is a catchy title and kind of a good hint at the sound – which has a breezy late 60s California vibe, but it's laid down with Memphis style horn backings and swampy guitars. Dale's vocal delivery is his most effervescent ever – and the players include James Burton, Spooner Oldham, the Memphis horns and even Taj Mahal! Tracks include "LA-Memphis-Tyler", "Heavy On My Mind", "Joe", "Houndog", "Back Street", "La-La La-La", "Candy Man". "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", "Little Rain Cloud" and more.

A killer album of funky blues – recorded by Howlin Wolf during the period when Chess/Cadet was backing its older artists up with some of the newer funk musicians it had working in its studios! The overall sound works quite well – and although purists at the time moaned at the way artists like Wolf, Etta James, and Bo Diddley were being handled (especially with a "we know better than them" message on the cover like this!), the funky blues records from this time actually seem to be some of the most enduring from Chess – especially with younger listeners in the 21st Century! A big part of the success here goes to producers Charles Stepney and Gene Barge – who helped bring together a younger batch of players for Wolf's backing – including Pete Cosey and Phil Upchurch on guitars, Louis Satterfield on bass, and Morris Jennings on drums. Titles include "Spoonful", "Tail Dragger", "Smokestack Lightning", "Red Rooster", "Evil", and "Down In The Bottom".

The last Spoonful long player with chief songwriter/arranger John Sebastian – a solid effort in a (thankfully) similar vein to their earlier classic work, but with hints of the sprawling efforts that blanketed late 60s pop. There's still a few big hits in the mix – "Six O'Clock, "She Is Still A Mystery" and "Money", none of which seemed to find their way onto oldies radio playlists the way the group's earlier efforts did. Thanks to that lack of saturation it's pretty deeply satisfying all the way through – warm to our hearts the same way a lot of early 70s Beach Boys stuff is! Digitally remastered with 3 bonus tracks/alternate versions.

A very cool Elektra compilation – with rare non-Buddah work by the Lovin Spoonful, plus material by Al Kooper, Tom Rush, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse!

A tremendous discovery in soul music – previously unreleased demos from the legendary Dan Penn – one of the key songwriters in the Fame Studios/Muscle Shoals scene of the 60s! Dan's tunes had an undeniable impact on southern soul for decades to come – yet Penn hardly issued any singles himself – just sang on these in-house recordings as a way of demonstrating the strength of his songs! Yet Penn's vocals are amazing – as raspy and soulful as any of the big names who recorded his work – and backed here by superb Fame support by the core combo of Spooner Oldham on piano and organ, Jimmy Johnson on guitar, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Oldham co-wrote most of the tunes with Penn, and really gives them a slow-burning, all-soul feel with his keyboard lines – and although demo recordings, the production here is every bit as great as commercially-released material from Fame – making the collection sparkle like the lost album (or albums!) that Dan Penn never had at the time. Titles include "Keep On Talking", "Feed The Flame", "Strangest Feeling", "I Do", "It Tears Me Up", "Uptight Good Woman", "Far From The Maddening Crowd", "The Puppet", "Long Ago", "Slippin Around With You", and "Do Something".

A breakout record that forever put Wilson Pickett at the top of the heap for mainstream 60s soul – thanks to the oft-covered, endlessly played "Mustang Sally" single that leads off the set! And although the groove established by that track helped Pickett establish an audience on both sides of the fence, the full album itself is much deeper stuff – a searing album of southern-styled soul recorded with some great Muscle Shoals production – Rick Hall and Tom Dowd at the helm – and key session players who include Charlie Chalmers, Chips Moman, Tommy Cogbill, Spooner Oldham, and Roger Hawkins – all of whom help give the record the intimate, earthy feeling that helped Pickett step out with a stronger sound than earlier recordings. (And in fact, this album's perhaps a key pre-Aretha Franklin example of the way that Atlantic's vision could majestically change the sound of an already-known soul artist – bringing them far deeper than ever before.) Titles include "Mustang Sally", "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", "Nothing You Can Do", "Three Time Loser", "Sunny", "She Ain't Gonna Do Right", "Knock On Wood", "Time Is On My Side", and "You Left The Water Running".

Arguably one of the greatest albums ever cut by Jimmy Witherspoon – recorded live at an early Monterey Jazz Festival, and done in a style that shows the strong link between jazz and blues in Jimmy's work! The group on the set includes Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, and Woody Herman – and the longish tracks on the set give them all more than enough room to solo alongside Jimmy's bluesy vocals. The album's also one of the first to be produced by a young David Axelrod – and shows a clear respect for both the singer and the musicians, in a combination that would come out even more strongly on Axe's later productions for Capitol. Titles include "No Rollin Blues", "Big Fine Girl", "Good Rockin Tonight", "Ain't Nobody's Business", and "When I Been Drinkin".

Genius work from one of the greatest Southern Soul studios ever – Muscle Shoals' legendary Fame Studios – the start of a huge wave of great music in the 60s, and a genre-changing sound that's still going strong today! The package is the best we've ever seen to look at Fame – not just a killer selection of the studio's music – 75 tracks that bring together rare singles, hits, and some lesser-known gems – but also a beautiful hardcover book, filled with pages and pages of great notes, vintage images, and more – really telling the unique take of Fame, producer Rick Hall, and all the mighty talents who helped make Muscle Shoals one of the most important sites for soul music in the 60s and 70s. Titles include "Ten Miles High" by David & The Giants, "Search Your Heart" by George Jackson, "Let Them Talk" by Dan Penn, "Two In The Morning" by Spooner's Crowd, "Lady In The Rain" by Lowell Fulson, "Wanted Lover" by James Govan, "Grits & Gravy" by The Fame Gang, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "What Color Is Love" by Roscoe Robinson, "Laugh It Off" by The Tams, "Thief In The Night" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Mitty Collier, "I'm Just A Prisoner" by Candi Staton, "Thread The Needle" by Clarence & Calvin, and "Slippin Around With You" by Art Freeman.

With "Monster Jam" by Spoonie G & Sequence, "Freedom" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 + One, "Birthday Party" by Grandmaster Flash, "8th Wonder" by Sugarhill Gang, and the amazing "Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel". This is the original version, with the picture sleeve cover.

Nothing rough here – as the set's one of the smoothest we've ever heard in this legendary series – a tight collection of vintage tracks that really serve up an African take on the sound of American disco! Rhythms are tight and quick, but the overall approach is still very much in the best spirit of the 70s Afro Funk generation – lots of live percussion keeping things kicking, tight instrumental solos on keyboards and guitar, and mighty soulful vocals all around! Titles include "Dance The Body Music" by Osibisa, "Brand New Wayo" by Mixed Grill, "Kazet" by Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, "Be Africa" by Bibi Tanga & The Selenites, and "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves.

Nothing rough here – as the set's one of the smoothest we've ever heard in this legendary series – a tight collection of vintage tracks that really serve up an African take on the sound of American disco! Rhythms are tight and quick, but the overall approach is still very much in the best spirit of the 70s Afro Funk generation – lots of live percussion keeping things kicking, tight instrumental solos on keyboards and guitar, and mighty soulful vocals all around! Titles include "Dance The Body Music" by Osibisa, "Brand New Wayo" by Mixed Grill, "Kazet" by Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, "Be Africa" by Bibi Tanga & The Selenites, and "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves. Also features a bonus CD – vintage takes on the work of Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, James Brown, Otis Redding, and others – all transformed into a soukous style by Vincent Nguini & Maloko!

An excellent collection of funky tracks from South Africa – most of them with a slightly different feel than work you'd get on other Afro Funk compilations – and we mean that in a good way, too! Some of the artists are names you'd recognize from later recordings of the big South African crossover years of the 80s and 90s – but they're represented here by harder, edgier cuts from the early days – and mixed up with some more obscure acts, too – which really helps bring a freshness to the set, especially given the interweaving of genres that goes on – as you might guess from the extended sub-title of the CD! Titles include "Sangoma" by Malombo, "Oh Yeh Soweto" by Teaspoon & The Waves, "Intombi Ibhinca Isidwaba" by Phuzushukela, "Kikzelani" by Nelcy Sedibe, "Hula Hoop Jive" by Kataki, "Andromeda" by Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, "Malume" by Abafakasi, "Baloyi" by Dudu Pukwana & Spear, "Lily's Express" by Gwigwi Mrwebi, "Wozan Mahipi" by Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens, and "Bayeza" by Soul Brothers.

Amazing blues from the Georgia scene of the 70s – music that hardly feels like other versions of the genre coming out at the time – partly thanks to the raw recording quality of these tracks! Most of the music features just a singer and guitar – sometimes just one or the other – and the only other rhythm on the record comes from spoons or a bit of drums – which should give you an idea of the lean, rootsy sound of the record! The quality of the music is great, though – and the record feels like some older gem on Arhoolie or Yazoo. Titles include "James Boogie" and "Good Morning Little School Girl" by James Davis, "The Howlin Wolf" and "Old Red #2" by Jim Bunkley, "Poor Boy" and "If I Lose Let Me Lose" by John Lee Ziegler, "Love Blues" and "Hoochie Coochie Wagon" by William Robertson, and "Have You Ever Seen Peaches Grow On A Sweet Potato Vine" by Jimmy Lee Williams.

A treasure trove of wonderful tunes – all written by the legendary southern soul team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham! The pair rarely entered the spotlight themselves, but contributed countless compositions that helped forge the sound of southern soul in the 60s – classic tunes that made the music of Memphis and Muscle Shoals even more mighty than anyone might have expected – thanks to a depth of feeling, sensitivity of emotion, and a trademark undercurrent of sadness that really helped the music set a new level at the time! This collection is the first to really do justice to the full range of the Penn/Oldham catalog – a beautiful batch of soul singles from a variety of different 60s labels – laid out back to back, in a breathtaking tapestry of soulful music. Titles include "Feed The Flame" by Ted Taylor, "Take Me" by Solomon Burke, "I'm Your Puppet" by Dionne Warwick, "Out Of Left Field" by Percy Sledge, "Cry Like A Baby" by Arthur Alexander, "It Tears Me Up" by Jeanne Newman, "I Met Her In Church" by Tony Borders, "I Need Someone" by The Wallace Brothers, "In The Same Old Way" by Arthur Conley, "Let It Happen" by James Carr, "Are You Never Coming Home" by Sandy Posey, and "I Worship The Ground You Walk On" by Etta James.

Soweto disco from the dawn of the 80s – "Oh Yeo Soweto" and "Friday Night Special" by Teaspoon & Waves – the latter a Sofrito Vs Kilombo edit – plus an edited version of Highway Sporo Disco by Nzimande Allstars! Teaspoon & Waves' "Oh Yeh Soweto" is a bit of a tribute to Lamont Dozier. "Friday Nigh Special" has some spacey synth, and the Nzimande Allstars track "Highway Sporo Disco" is on the flip with a heavier disco vibe.

Rod Perry plays the lead in this mid 70s action flick – a hustler trying to stay clear of the drug trade on the mean streets – until he's been crossed by a mobster played by Don Chastain. Perry then teams up with ghetto boss Big Nate Williamson (played by Jimmy Witherspoon!) – all in an effort to drive out the mafia and their drug-dealing ways!

Some of the earliest work ever recorded by the mighty Memphis-based Goldwax Records – material that shows the roots of the label's famous deep soul style, and a wide variety of other modes as well! From the start, it's clear that the ears at Goldwax really knew what they were doing – as even the more pop-oriented recordings here have something very different – a care and quality that makes digging through the label's catalog on a single-by-single basis just as great as doing the same with work from Stax/Volt! As with that company, you can first hear Goldwax getting their start in a few different styles – some of which were issued on other labels at the time – then settling into a classic mode pretty quickly, that massive Memphis soul style that easily made Goldwax one of the most important southern soul imprints of the 60s. The package features a whopping 58 tracks in all, plus full notes too – both a and b-sides of early singles, with titles that include "Toddlin" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "It's Wonderful To Be In Love" by The Ovations, "I Can't Make It" by James Carr, "Arabian Jerk" by The Merits, "I Can't Fight This Much Longer" by Eddie Bond, "That's How Strong My Love Is" by OV Wright, "Our Last Quarrel"by Bobby McDowell, "Will I Ever Be Free" by Jeb Stewart, "The Day The World Cried (parts 1 & 2)" by Oboe, "A Thousand Vows" by Bobby McDowell, "Spoonful" by The Playboy Five, "Rhythm Marie" by Phillip & The Faithfuls, "Country Style" by Dorothy Williams, "Have You Seen Jean" by Al Vance, "Lover's Crime" by Spencer Wiggins, and "My Motor Bike Balked" by The Lamars.

Quite an unusual date for vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon – one that has him singing with the group of Wilbur De Paris, in a mode that's a lot more trad than any of Jimmy's other records from the time! Turns out, that amazing voice is perfect for the setting – and Witherspoon really sounds wonderful here – ringing out with a full, rich style that most other trad male singers would never attempt – recorded beautifully for the session with top-shelf Atlantic fidelity, too – and more than a few echoes of their R&B approach in the studio! The group features Wilbur De Paris on trombone, Sidney De Paris on cornet, Omer Simeon on clarinet, and Sonny White on piano – and titles include "Careless Love", "Trouble In Mind", "Lotus Blossom", "Big Fine Girl", "Good Rollin Blues", and "When The Sun Goes Down".

Howlin Wolf is really getting into his thing here – tightening it up a bit from his earliest years at Chess, and moving into a groove that would forever make him one of the key artists to record for the label! The raspy, rootsy feel of earlier years is still in place – but the recording quality's a bit better, and the tunes have a more unified feel – thanks partly to some classic compositions from Willie Dixon, whose work makes up a very big part of the album! Tunes were recorded between the years 1959 to 1962, and brought together for the record – and titles include "Shake For Me", "Spoonful", "Going Down Slow", "Down In The Bottom", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Red Rooster", and "Tell Me".

Wonderfully sophisticated soul from Etta James – a real departure from the raw shouting R&B of earlier years, and perfectly set to sparkling arrangements by the great Riley Hampton (who'd had similar success with Walter Jackson, Lorez Alexandria, and other Chicago soul stars.) Hampton's dark use of strings brings out a whole new side of James' brilliance – a quality that raised Etta James up out of the R&B ghetto, and forever put her into the legions of legendary 60s soul stars! Titles include the perennial classic "At Last", plus "All I Could Do Was Cry", "Tough Mary", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Anything To Say You're Mine", and "Trust In Me". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "My Heart Cries", "Spoonful", "It's A Crying Shame", and "If I Can't Have You".

It's hard to imagine a more perfect 60s southern soul album – the legendary vocals of Percy Sledge mixed with classic Muscle Shoals production from Quin Ivy – all wrapped around a host of hip tunes that go way past the easy 60s soul hits! The formula here is similar to that cooked up by Otis Redding on Stax, but it goes perhaps a few steps more – relaxing into its own confidence, and hitting an easy, open approach to the material that's neither too "stock", nor too slick. And although Otis first started the groove, Percy really helps push it forward strongly on this record – by bringing a deepening spirit and new sophistication to the music that would help it thrive greatly into the 70s. Many tracks are written by the team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, including "I Love Everything About You", "Out Of Left Field", and "Feed the Flame" – and other titles include "Sudden Stop", "Baby Help Me", "Cover Me", "Between These Arms", and "High Cost Of Leaving".

A much groovier set than usual from vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon – thanks to some great backing from the combo of organist Jack McDuff, which also includes guitar from a young Melvin Sparks! The sound here is definitely in keeping with the "blues" in the title – but McDuff's instrumentation brings in a fair bit of jazz as well – and really opens up the tunes with some of the playful rhythms he was laying down on his own records for Prestige in the 60s. And as usual, Witherspoon proves that he's every bit as much a jazz singer as a blues vocalist – by changing things up nicely on most of the tunes, and bringing in inflections that go way past a typical bluesy singing mode. The whole thing's nice and lively, with a really unique feel that's all its own – and titles include "Sweet Slumber", "My Money's Long This Morning Baby", "Part Time Woman", "Late One Evening", "SK Blues", and "Past Forty Blues".

A crunchy batch of grooves from one of the hippest British soundsystems ever! The Wild Bunch were a Bristol-based collective dedicated to spinning the best in underground hip hop and club tracks – a group whose members included Roni Size, Tricky, Krust, and future members of Massive Attack, represented here by DJ Milo, who's come up with a fantastic batch of tracks that perfectly sums up their genius blend of styles and rough-edged groove! The CD version of the set features a continuous mix of tracks by Milo – 26 tunes laid out back to back, bumping and jumping through a set list that includes "It's Yours" by T La Rock, "Just Rhymin With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane & Biz Markie, "We Rap More Mellow" by Younger Generation, "It's Your Rock" by Fantasy, "Rock Shock" by BBCS &A, "Who Needs Enemies With Friends Like You" by Montana Sextet, "The Music Got Me" by Visual, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "DJ's Delight" by Ingram, "Love Rap" by Spoonie G, "Double Fresh" by The Wild Bunch, "Inside Out" by Odyssey, "I'm In Love" by Evelyn Champagne King, "Smurph Across The Surf" by Micronawts, "Dyin To Be Dancin" by Empress, "Can You Feel It" by Mr Fingers, and "It's Serious" by Cameo.

A heavy duty 3LP vinyl box set of Cream's unlikely and incendiary reunion shows at Royal Albert Hall in 2005! Pressed on cream coloured vinyl and includes a book. Titles include "I'm So Glad", "Spoonful", "Politician", "White Room", "Sunshine Of Your Love" and more. 19 tracks on 3LPs.

Damn! Here's a record we wish we'd been treasuring for years and years, but it came into our lives more than 40 years after it was recorded, released and largely forgotten – an absolute masterpiece of funky country rock & soul from Jim Ford! '69's Harlan County is a record that brings so many styles into the mix that it could make you dizzy if it wasn't all so perfectly grounded by gritty southern roots, R&B and swampy rock – plus Ford's vocals, which range from wildly bugged out to soulful and richly emotional. We hear he once dated Bobbie Gentry and that makes some sense. You can compare him to lots of folks – he is as omnivorous of country, rock and southern soul in all its forms as Charlie Rich, but Ford's nowhere nearly as restrained by convention – and he's drawing from deeper wells of funk and soul. Tony Joe White comes to mind, too, as do a number of Muscle Shoals soul singers of the era. That said, Ford's his own animal! We came in late, but we'll love this record for the rest of time! Some famous fellows played on the sessions, but we won't name them, 'cuz Ford deserves all credit from us. Includes "Harlan County", "I'm Gonna Make Her Love Me", "Dr Handy's Dandy Candy", "Working My Way To LA", "Spoonful", "To Make My Life Beautiful" and more.

Aretha Arrives in great style – and a mixture between her earlier vocal jazz years at Columbia, and her later southern soul sides of the 60s! Arif Mardin is already arranging Aretha's work at this point, and the backing group includes southern soul studio giants like Spooner Oldham, Tommy Cogbill, and Roger Hawkins – but there's also a number of tracks that have mellow strings and horns by Ralph Burns, very much in the lush style of Burns' work for other vocalists – and a bit different than some of Franklin's other Atlantic work. The Sweet Inspirations back up Aretha on "Ain't Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around)", and a few other tracks feature backings by sisters Erma and Carolyn – who are always a welcome addition! Titles include "Prove It", "Never Let Me Go", "I Wonder", "Going Down Slow", and "Night Life".

2 blues classics from the great Howlin Wolf – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Howlin Wolf – a record that has Wolf tightening it up a bit from his earliest years at Chess, and moving into a groove that would forever make him one of the key artists to record for the label! The raspy, rootsy feel of earlier years is still in place – but the recording quality's a bit better, and the tunes have a more unified feel – thanks partly to some classic compositions from Willie Dixon, whose work makes up a very big part of the album! Tunes were recorded between the years 1959 to 1962, and brought together for the record – and titles include "Shake For Me", "Spoonful", "Going Down Slow", "Down In The Bottom", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Red Rooster", and "Tell Me". On Moanin In The Moonlight, a set filled with raspy vocals, Wolf sings in a way that definitely lives up to his nickname! The sound here is spare and stripped down, with very little accompaniment – usually just a bit of guitar, piano, bass, and drums – and sometimes not even all that much! Wolf's vocals are wonderful throughout – archetypal, but not nearly as cliched as some of his contemporaries came to sound – with a timeless feel that really holds up throughout. Titles include "Smokestack Lightnin", "No Place To Go", "All Night Boogie", "Evil", "I Asked For Water", "Forty Four", and "Somebody In My Home".