A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on the set – a Philly vibe that really matches the best work from the Gamble & Huff stable, but with more of an indie vibe too – fitting for the Buddah Records placement of the set. The record features studio help from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, and Bobby Eli – whose work on the record helps link the style to the righteous grooves of groups like Soul Generation or True Reflection – both a good comparison to The Modulations too! Titles include "It's Rough Out Here", "I Found Love At Last", "Those Were The Best Days Of My Life", and "I'll Always Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting and relatively spare early one by The Cure that holds up incredibly well – standing true to the test of time as strongly as anything in their canon! From the perspective of fans who got into The Cure anytime from the mid 80s onward, these earlier efforts might initially sound like a moody framework for the more grandly produced records to come, give it a couple listens, because the minimal structure is incredibly strong! It's just their second album, but the eerily melodic Robert Smith vocals, his just as distinctive guitars, and then new bass player Simon Gallup's sound have The Cure mood in full semi-gloomy, yet wholly beautiful bloom! Includes the great title track, "A Reflection", "Play For Today", "Secrets", "In Your House", "Three", "The Final Sound", "A Forest", "M" and "At Night". LP, Vinyl record album

The Reflections were a great lost soul group who cut one album for Capitol, plus a handful of singles. This nice one from 1975 features 2 strong cuts by the band – both with arrangements by Bert De Coteaux. "Three Steps" is a midtempo number, written by JR Bailey – and the flipside is more mellow, with a strong male vocal in the lead. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Classic first album of avant noise and psych from the Texas underground, featuring seminal early work by Mayo Thompson, and a mind-blasting set of tracks that mixes straight songs with the group's trademark "free form freak outs". Essential to anyone with even the slightest affinity for the true psychedelic 60s – and especially so for true lovers of the influential psych forbears! Titles of the songs include "Hurricane Fighter Plane", "Transparent Radition" (an all-time classic), "War Sucks", "Former Reflections Enduring Doubt", and "Pink Stainless Tail" – and each track is separated by a freakout! CD

Atmosphere returns wielding their signature sound full force! What they've come out with this round is by far their most experimental – definitely fresher and more distinct than the "safety" of God Loves Ugly. Slug bounces along melodically, tortured and true to his nature, yet he comes off a little (just a little) more optimistic this time and he recites more than just tales of love lost. He STILL is at his tightest when weaving wonderful heart-wrenching stories instead of bragging, yet I don't think you hear the name Lucy once on this album. Sean Daley, the philosopher? – maybe we'll see more and more of that in the future. ANT's production is sounding much much better since God Loves Ugly – these beats pound just a little harder, seemingly influenced by punk rock, seventies rock, and folk rock (any rock). There still is a whole lotta soul in there, which is very nice, yet he still ain't afraid to pitch the formula, say sample some off kilter scatting or a ripping metal guitar. Tracks include "Bird Sings Why The Caged I Know", "Cats Van Bags", "National Disgrace", "Liquor Lyles Cool July". "Good Times", "Keys To Life Vs 15 Minutes Of Fame", "Reflections" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Something of a "lost" album from Sun Ra – material initially intended as his second album for Transition records in the 50s, but not issued until a decade later when Delmark Records was first putting the Chicago underground on the map! The sound here steps out nicely from the first Transition session – and Ra is already a bit bolder, not just in his structure of the songs, but in the way he handles his piano – with some darker notes and tones, more exotic phrasing, and even some very early use of electric piano – already with the haunting qualities that would show up more strongly in the Saturn years. Every member of the group is wonderful too – each with their own voice, spoken strongly and freely – in a lineup that includes Art Hoyle and Dave Young on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Pat Patrick on alto and baritone sax, John Gilmore on tenor, Charles Davis on baritone, Victor Sproles on bass, William Cochran on drums, and Jim Herndon on tympani and timbali. Titles include "El Is A Sound Of Joy", "Overtones Of China", "Ankh", "Two Tones", "Saturn", "Reflections In Blue", and "Planet Earth". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "As You Once Were" and "Dreams Come True" – with vocals by Clyde Williams. CD