A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's partly an album by massive funk trio Khruangbin, and partly a tribute to some of the musicians they worked with on a recent tour – as side one has the other performers in the lead, while Khruangbin gets plenty of instrumental space on the flipside! The group themselves turn in a great James Brown tribute in the mix of "Blind Man Can See It/It's The Monaurail" – and also serve up "Bin Bin", "Friday Moring", "People Everywhere", and "Number 4". Other titles include "Nobody Smokes Anymore" by Robert Ellis, "Woman Trouble" by Kelly Doyle, "At The Trailride" by Ruben Moreno, and "Don't Bother Me" by The Suffers. LP, Vinyl record album

The second installment in the Videoclub – and like the first, a set of tracks that definitely lives up to the vintage action styles promised on the cover! The tracks are heavy on influences from classic crime, cop, and kung fu soundtracks – served up as shorter instrumental tracks that also make a nice nod to 70s sound library styles too – all with production that's totally great, and right on the money – so that the music never sounds too contemporary at all, and really has the spirit of analog funk from back in the day! Titles include "Trouble In Istanbul", "Bombay Sapphire", "Land Cruiser Radio", "Cairo City Limits", "High Voltage", "Golden VHS Awakening", and "She's An Agent". LP, Vinyl record album

Originally the first release in the Madlib Medicine Show series – this one is a full scale collaboration with no nonsense rapper Guilty Simpson – sort of a prelude to Guilty's OJ Simpson LP with Madlib in the production booth! The set is a pretty sharp confluence of Guilty's heavy-toned street knowledge and Madlib's hazy funk atmospherics – kind of a strange bedfellows situation, but it works fully well! Many tracks are billed as OJ Simpson remixes, possibly tripped out and funked up versions as a taste of what's to come – with appearances by MED & J Dilla. Titles include "Ode To The Ghetto" (OJ Simpson rmx), "Yikes" (OJ Simpson rmx), "Further", "Lucky Guy", "Pigs" (OJ Simpson rmx), "Life Goes By", "The Paper", "Looking For Trouble", "Young Guns" feat J Dilla, "American Dream & Future" (OJ Simpson rmx) and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on sweet soul sounds from the past – served up here by a mighty hip group who mix slow funky modes with some mighty nice vocals! The record's got a mix of deep funk production and some of the warmer qualities of east coast group soul from the New Jersey scene at the start of the 70s – almost an All-Platinum/Stang sort of record from the hands of George Kerr and Sylvia Robinson, but with some fuller, more forward-moving cuts that also echo the Record Kicks label too! There's light strings that really help the record soar – and the lead vocals of Mark Sexton are mighty nice throughout, especially when he gets support from a few backup singers too. Titles include "Better Late Than Never", "The Other Side", "Trouble On My Mind", "Love Can't Be Borrowed", "Beck & Call", "This Could Last Forever", and "Daydreaming". LP, Vinyl record album

Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp – with a bit more horns than before on some of the titles, arranged tightly to provide a great foil for Leon's leaner lines on Hammond! Arrangements are by Ed Bogas on the fuller tracks, and players on the album include Hubert Laws on flute, Frank Wess on baritone, Victor Paz and Virgil Jones on trumpet, Joe Beck on guitar, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Grady Tate on drums. One track features Leon working in a smaller trio format – and titles include "Superstition", "Give Me Your Love", "The Price A Po Man's Got To Pay", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Trouble Man". LP, Vinyl record album

It's impossible to simmer down with a groove this great – a wicked blend of African funk and fuzzier psych touches – all served up by Nigeria's legendary Survival! The set was recorded at Ginger Baker's Arc Studios, and has his own blend of rootsy elements, complicated rhythms, and more straightforward touches on guitar and vocals – all delivered with a mode that's a bit more freewheeling than Zamrock material of the time – nicely tripped-out in all the best ways! The vocals and instrumentation have the same sort of sinister edge you'd expect from the cover – and the mix of offbeat and groovy is somewhere in the same territory as the legendary 70s recordings by Blo. Titles include "Ripples", "Emotions", "Simmer Down", "Everybody's Got His Own Kind Of Trouble", "Jungle Justice", and "Chewing Dust". LP, Vinyl record album

The Houseplant series really takes off with this killer triple-LP set – a massive batch of funk and soul, both old and new – presented here in a really great assortment of modes! There's some great deep tracks from the 70s here, alongside some well-chosen contemporary cuts from the international funk underground – plus a few other assorted surprises along the way – keeping the label's strong reputation for serving up a record that's way different than the standard funk compilation! Titles include "Short Stopping" by Veda Brown, "What's Good For You" by Harvey Scales, "Little Saddy" by Andre Ethier, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "I'm Not Ready For Love" by Promise, "Slide" by Adesse Versions, "Gettin Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Town Called Nowhere" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Blah Blah Blah" by Saun & Starr, "Gotta Let Me Know" by Breakestra, "Jamaica Ska" by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, "Legend In My Own Mind" by The Stepkids, "Lament 1" by Dustin Laurenzi, "Trouble" by Frederick Knight, "The Echo" by Epsilons, "A Little Bit More Won't Hurt" by Bettye Crutcher, "The Who Who Song" by Jackie Wilson, and "Don't Stop" by The Bar Kays. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest entries in the Red Hot series so far – a set of tracks dedicated to the legendary Fela Kuti – felled by AIDS after years of influential grooves – still being felt strongly by the rich array of artists collected in the set! Most tracks are contemporary, but feature a strong influence of the 70s modes of Fela's generation – those sharp percussive lines at the bottom of the tracks, soaring Afro-styled horn passages, and a righteous energy that really drives the whole thing all the way through! The package was put together in support of AIDS/HIV awareness, but is hardly an act of charity – as it's overflowing with great cuts that more than make the set stand as an Afro Funk collection on its own. Most tracks are remakes of older Fela numbers – and titles include "Buy Africa" by Baloiji & L'Orchestre De A Katuba, "Yellow Fever" by Spoek Mathambo & Zaki Ibrahim, ""Gentleman" by Just A Band & Baja, "Go Slow" by King, "Sorro Tears & blood" by Kronos Quartet & Kyp Malone, "Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am" by My Morning Jacket, "Afrodisco Beat 2013" by Tony Allen & M1, and "Lady" by Tune Yards, ?uestlove, and Angelique Kidjo. LP, Vinyl record album

A lost gospel treasure from this obscure Mississippi group – cut in the mid 70s, but with a stripped-down sound that's completely timeless overall! The Staples Jr Singers certainly have picked up some of the more righteous currents of mainstream soul and funk at the time – echoed both in their tremendous phrasing on the lyrics, and on some of the album's used of raw guitar licks next to their words – but the stripped-down vibe gives the record a feel that's almost more 60s deep soul overall – as befits their southern roots, and the album's issue on a small indie label! There's also maybe a bit less "church" on the record than the usual gospel outing of the time – more overall messages about love, unity, and feeling – which also gives the whole thing a very transcendent quality. Titles include "On My Journey Home", "When Do We Get Paid", "I'm Looking For A Man", "I Know You're Going To Miss Me", "Trouble Of The World", "I Got A New Home", and "I Feel Good". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the funk-heavy period of Muddy Waters – a moment that once made the traditional blues fans mad, but which has gone onto become the stuff of legend – thanks to a real criss-crossing of Chicago talents in the studio! The set was co-produced by Chess Records talents Charles Stepney, Gene Barge, and Marshall Chess – and features expanded instrumentation that includes Phil Upchurch on added guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Stepney on organ, and Morris Jennings on drums – plus even more guitar from Pete Cosey, who you might know from later work on some Miles Davis electric albums! Muddy is still very firmly the lead talent at the core, though – coming across with a badass kind of vibe that mixes his raw roots with the hipper soul of the new generation – a great Chess/Cadet hybird that was years ahead of its time. Titles include "I Am The Blues", "Hurtin Soul", "Bottom Of The Sea", "Honey Bee", "Rollin' And Tumblin'", "Screamin & Cryin", and "Blues & Trouble". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful later album by the Beastie Boys – who always preferred to put out a great record every five or six years, than a sub par album every 2 or 3! All these years after Paul's Boutique, when the world of difficult, expensive sample clearance could've kill the layers of pop pastiche sound bites that made P's B such a brilliant statement, the soul and funk samples are still piled on in abundance on this one (albeit with a more electro studio built backdrop), as are the block rockin' party rhymes – even if the tone is serious and strident in spots. There are no attempts at live funky jazz or punk rock this time – this may be the Beasties' most classifiable hip hop album in decades. Tracks include the great throwback single "Ch-Check It Out", "Right Right Now Now", "3 The Hard Way", "It Takes Time To Build", "Rhyme The Rhyme Well", "Hey F**k You", "Triple Trouble", "Oh Word?", "That's It That's All", "All Lifestyles", "Shazam!", "An Open Letter To NYC" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the Viking in the title – or maybe not entirely, as these guys are from Scandinavia – but the record's definitely not the stuff of longboats and looting, as the Soul Tune Allstars are a sharp-edged funky combo with very universal appeal! There's some rough-edged vocals on the record at points, handled in a way that's a nice change from some of the too-classic singers in other funk groups – and the combo also know how to mix it up nicely in terms of speed and style, with the occasional mellower moment that makes the record feel like a more fully-formed soul album overall. Titles include "Sweet & Sour", "Looking For Trouble", "Hang On", "Chicken Chase", "Drop It", "Sunday Afternoon", and "Inside A Man's Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

The original soundtrack to Trouble Man is nothing short of a masterpiece – a full-on moment of studio genius from Marvin Gaye, right in the middle of his classic 70s run – a record that's given a fantastic new treatment here by Lo Res, who delivers exactly what's promised in the title! The record's not a straight rehash of the original – as Lo Res clearly knows and loves, and has completely absorbed the original – so that he can take the whole thing and open it up with new arrangements, interesting instrumentation, and a mix of strings, jazz, and funky elements that are completely sublime. If anything, the set seems to more fully expand on the orchestrations of the original, while losing none of the sense of the soul – and apart from a vocal appearance by Blackwolf, most of the focus is instrumental – on titles that include "Cleo's Apartment", "T Plays It Cool", "Don't Mess With Mr T", "T Stands For Trouble", "Theme From Trouble Man", "Poor Abbey Walsh", "The Break In", and "Deep In It". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record – and one that's well worth all the anticipation it's gotten over the years! The set features rare, previously unreleased material done by Funkadelic during their classic years at Westbound Records – some songs, and some studio jams – of the sort the group were famous for, especially during their time at Westbound! The songs are totally great – massively funky numbers that rank right up there with classics of the Cosmic Slop years – and the jams are almost even better, a rare opportunity to hear the genius collective at work in the studio – without any edits at all to get in the way! We'd easily rank this set right up there with Free Your Ass or America Eats Its Young – and after years of waiting, it's great to have this wonderful collection finally out for the masses! Songs include "Heart Trouble", "Talk About Jesus", and "The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg" – and jams include "Vampy Funky Bernie" and "Slide On In". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – quite possibly our favorite ever by Marvin Gaye! The album is quite unique – written by Leon Ware, and recorded in collaboration with him – done as a "suite" of tracks based on themes of passion, joy, and new love – all of which were very much on the mind of Marvin during his troubled years of the mid 70s. The whole thing's beautifully put together – superbly orchestrated with just the right funky touches, and even a sweet bit of electronics to give the set a nice edge. An amazing album – one of those soul records that goes deeper and deeper than you ever thought pop music could go – filled with great tracks that include "I Want You", "After the Dance", "Come Live With Me", and "Since I Had You". Genius – pure genius! LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing collection of work from Marvin Gaye – tracks recorded in the space right after What's Going On – many of which were never issued at the time! All this incredible material from 1972 has been brought together to create a stunning double-length album – one that features a few tracks that only ever saw issue as 45s back in the day, others that only later turned up as bonus tracks on CDs or box sets, and still others that appear here for the first time ever – all to show the incredible talents that Marvin was working with during this incredibly fruitful time in his career! Much of the material has the same righteous, socially-conscious spirit as What's Going On – and, if anything, the whole set provides a much-needed missing link between that album and the more sensual territory of Let's Get It On. There's definitely some of the spirit of that later album in place here too, as well as the instrumental complexity that Gaye would display on his soundtrack for Trouble Man – and the set even features a few Christmas tunes too. Titles include two versions of "You're The Man" – a killer 45 cut that we've loved for years – plus "Piece Of Clay", "I'm Gonna Give You Respect", "Try It You'll Like It", "You Are That Special One", "We Can Make It Baby", "My Last Chance", "Symphony", "I'd Give My Life For You", "Woman Of The World", "The World Is Rated X", "Where Are We Going", "I Want To Come Home For Christmas", "I'm Going Home (Move)", and the killer "Checking Out (Double Clutch)" – one of the funkiest tunes that Marvin ever recorded! LP, Vinyl record album

Bootsy Collins steps strongly from the shadow of George Clinton here – and wrote, arranged, and produced most of the album himself! Of course, George was having plenty of his own troubles at the time – but that only allowed Bootsy to take the helm even more, and step out with a batch of grooves that still keeps his star power plenty high. Of course, he's got some great help here too – from Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns, Midnight Star, Godmomma, and P-Funk regulars Bernie Worrell and Gary Shider – all of whom help contribute some classic elements to grooves that include "Shine O Myte", "#1 Funkateer", "So Nice You Name Him Twice", "Take A Lickin & Keep On Tickin", and "Countracula". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark double-live album that was easily one of the most important soul record moments of the 70s! The concert was an all-star event held in LA to celebrate the anniversary of the Watts riots – but it features a killer lineup of talent from the roster of Stax Records – by then a proud independent with more than enough power to spread a nationwide message from Memphis to Los Angeles without any trouble! The record is nicely segmented – so that it offers up mini "sets" by each artist – really recreating the feel of the event, at a level that lived on in countless living rooms long after the concert was over. Titles include "Son Of Shaft/Feel It" and "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays; "Ain't No Sunshine" by Isaac Hayes, "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" and "Hearsay" by The Soul Children, "I Like What You're Doing To Me" and "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas; "The Breakdown" and "Do The Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas, "Killing Floor" and "Angel Of Mercy" by Albert King"; "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers; and "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd. Also includes 2 studio tracks recorded after the show – "Oh La De Da" by The Staple Singers, and "Lay Your Loving On Me" by Eddie Floyd. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful little album from the earliest days of the Ingram empire in soul – recorded long before any of the individual members had gone onto bigger mainstream fame, and done in a way that has lots of righteous indie touches! Sister Barbara sings lead vocals on most of the tracks – bringing a slightly spiritual quality to the ensemble funk mode of the group – in a way that reminds us a bit of the few early Kool & The Gang tracks that sport female vocals. But there's also a great New Jersey soul kind of quality to the set too – a mode that sometimes slips into gentle harmonies, then rolls into harder funk at other points. Other members of the group include Butch, Billy, Timmy, Jimmy, and Johnny Ingram – and titles include "The Funk Is In Our Music", "He's Mine", "Music Is Our Message", "Tried It And Liked It", "Put Your Troubles Behind", and "What Else Can I Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare funky work from Bob Marley & The Wailers – tracks that are more of a studio jam than a typical recording – and which were done before a famous performance that the group played at the Matrix club in San Francisco! There's a lean, snakey groove to all these cuts – heavy on basslines from Family Man Barrett, whose work really sets the tone for the tunes – while Bob and Peter Tosh trade guitar lines, Carlton Barrett holds things down on drums, and Earl Lindo spices things up with some sweet organ work! Titles include "Kinky Reggae", "Stir It Up", "No More Trouble", "Rastaman Chant", "Slave Driver", "Put It Up", "Stop That Train", and "Duppy Conquer". LP, Vinyl record album

Afro-psychedelia from Chrissy Zebby Tembo – a set recorded in the Zambian scene of the early 70s, and served up in a blend of fuzzy guitar, funky drums, and some really unusual vocals! At times, Chrissy's voice almost sounds like it's being processed – filtered down nicely amidst the fuzzy guitar and bass, which themselves are kicked along by some especially great drums – not conventionally funky in the familiar Afro 70s mode, but really finding a heavy groove that's totally great! Some numbers get mighty dark, given the heavy use of fuzz – and titles include "Fisherman", "I've Been Losing", "Gone Forever", "Feeling Good", "My Ancestors", and "Trouble Maker". LP, Vinyl record album