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A bold score for a famous 70s astronaut film – penned by Jerry Goldsmith with almost the same sort of drama he might bring to a war thriller! The story itself is pretty dark – as the astronauts don't make it to space, but are forced into a Air Force base – and Goldsmith's music really follows suit – a really dominating set of orchestrations, with turgid rhythms at the bottom, blaring horn parts on the top, and offbeat instrumental phrases that sort of cascade down, almost in a claustrophobic way. There's less of the funkier or groovier moments you might know from earlier Goldsmith scores, but the soundtrack's still a great one, with a surprising amount of power, even away from the film. Titles include "Break Out", "The Message", "No Water", "Bedtime Story", "The Snake", "Kay's Theme", "The Letter", and "The Celebration".

One of Prince's biggest tunes ever – and a track that still sounds surprisingly great to our ears these days!

Soaring piano work from the great Paul Smith – a player who's working here with a much more vibrant sound than on some of his Capitol sides of the 50s! Smith's got a much harder approach to the keys than during his "liquid sounds" years – one that's possibly a bit influenced by some of Oscar Peterson's most successful trio sides for Verve in the early 60s, but which still retains most of Smith's sense of lyricism and flowing energy. The trio features Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass and Frank Capp on drums – and titles include "Fly Me To The Moon", "That's All", "How About You", "Laura", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", "Satin Doll", and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco".

A lot smoother than most of Airto's other work – and almost more of a soul record than a jazz one – but also a great batch of grooves with a really spirited feel! Airto's percussion is still relatively up front in the mix, and smooth funky LA arrangements take the album to a warm soulful place – giving the more uptempo tracks a tight dancefloor groove that's still kept a bit rootsy by all the acoustic percussion. Tom Scot lays down great solos on two tracks – "I'm Fine, How Are You" and "The Road Is Hard (But We're Going To Make It)" – and other good tracks include "The Happy People" and "Celebration Suite".

A wonderful record from guitarist Laurindo Almeida – way way better than the title might make you think, and quite different from his albums for Capitol! The album is subtitled "electronic excursions", and while it's not exactly electronic, it does feature Almeida soloing over some nicely groovy backings that drift along in a very spacious way. There's a bit of keyboards in the mix somewhere, lots of strings, and some airy grooves that make the album dance in a magical way that most of Almeida's work does not. Arrangements are by Larry Cansler, Pete King, and Lex De Azevedo (David Axelrod?) – and titles include "The Lamp Is Low", "Till The End Of Time", "Full Moon & Empty Arms", "Moon Love", and "When I Write My Song".

Near-perfect work from Ashford & Simpson – really grooving in full powerhouse mode here, and never missing a beat! By all rights, the team should have run out of steam by this point, but the album's another winner from their sublime Warner years – caught in a unique space between chart soul, ensemble funk, and disco – taking all the best elements of each, and really sending the whole thing home with some incredible vocals and impeccable production and arrangements! Titles include "Rushing To", "Love Don't Make It Right", "We'll Meet Again", "Get Out Your Handkerchief", and "I Ain't Asking For Your Love".

Near-perfect work from Ashford & Simpson – really grooving in full powerhouse mode here, and never missing a beat! By all rights, the team should have run out of steam by this point, but the album's another winner from their sublime Warner years – caught in a unique space between chart soul, ensemble funk, and disco – taking all the best elements of each, and really sending the whole thing home with some incredible vocals and impeccable production and arrangements! Titles include "Rushing To", "Love Don't Make It Right", "We'll Meet Again", "Get Out Your Handkerchief", and "I Ain't Asking For Your Love".

A super huge hit for George – the record that took him from being a funky jazz guitarist into an R&B superstar! The album features George playing and singing over arrangements by Claus Ogerman – some of Ogerman's best of the 70s, ones that mix together his trademark pillow of sound with a slightly funky bounce. The result is incredible – and the album is filled with loads of great songs – including George's excellent version of Bobby Womack's "Breezin", the hit version of "This Masquerade", and the cuts "So This Is Love", "Six To Four", and "Affirmation".

A super huge hit for George – the record that took him from being a funky jazz guitarist into an R&B superstar! The album features George playing and singing over arrangements by Claus Ogerman – some of Ogerman's best of the 70s, ones that mix together his trademark pillow of sound with a slightly funky bounce. The result is incredible – and the album is filled with loads of great songs – including George's excellent version of Bobby Womack's "Breezin", the hit version of "This Masquerade", and the cuts "So This Is Love", "Six To Four", and "Affirmation".

Titles include "Ode To A Kudu", "We As Love", "Lady Blue", "Windsong", "Weekend In LA", "It's All In The Game", and his classic take on "On Broadway".

The grandest scale and most elaborately furnished Black Sabbath album to this point – but they still bring the heavy! The title track is one of the most influential metal songs ever, with the foreboding lyrics, trudging stomp of a rhythmic pace and those bridges that are almost pretty – and the most of the rest of the album is great, too – more carefully produced than the previous few without compromising the menace. Titles include "A National Acrobat", "Fluff", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Who Are You".

Forget the overly slap-bass funk of "Body Slam", and go for the sublime flipside on this one! Although the single was issued in 1982, Warner dug back to 1976 for "I'd Rather Be With You", an incredible slow-funk groover that's one of Bootsy's best cuts ever, and which was eventually given an excellent hip hop remake.

Their track from the Blue In The Face soundtrack, with the nice mellow production you'd expect, and some dancehall chatting in the chorus.

We've never been sure if this group is the same one who recorded a few years earlier with Patrick Adams – but whatever the case, the album's a pretty great one – and equally in a top-shelf clubby mode! Keyboards, horns, arrangements, and production are all by Boris Midney – who'd be working here almost as a one-man show, were it not for the added strings and vocals by Kevin Owens and Chequita Jackson. Both sides are extended tracks that almost work like long 12" single tracks – each sort of a medley that folds two songs into one another – with "Catch The Rhythm/Charmed By You" on side one, and "You Got It Too Uptight/Love Spell" on side two.

Two great albums back to back in one set – with a full CD's worth of bonus material too! First up is The Glow Of Love – the classic debut from Change, and the start of an amazing run of groovers in the early 80s! The set's got a tight, jazzy feel throughout – a stripped-down approach to disco modes, with the same focus on the basslines that you'd find in work by Chic – but a style that's almost even more instrumentally focused overall, given the great range of studio players who worked on the set. Yet there's also some key vocal moments, too – work by Luther Vandross that really helps make some of the best tracks sparkle, and which went onto catapult Vandross into a rich solo career on his own. The set's filled with sharp rhythms and sweet jazzy changes – and titles include the classics "The Glow Of Love" and "Searching", both with Luther, plus "Lover's Holiday", "Angel In My Pocket", and "The End". Miracles is a brilliant second set from Change – working here without Luther Vandross on lead vocals, but hardly missing a beat at all! As before, the basslines are at the core of the set – a sweet stripped-down approach that brings even more focus onto the bottom of the groove for early 80s dancefloors – with loads of numbers that step along in a really groovy mode – one quite far from the cliches of disco, and inflected by loads of jazzy elements that keep things fresh over the years! Vocals are by James Robinson – previously with Lonnie Liston Smith – Diva Gray, and Jocelyn Shaw – and titles include "On Top", "Paradise", "Hold Tight", "Your Move", "Stop For Love", and "Heaven Of My Life". CD 2 features a whopping 17 more bonus tracks – lots of single mixes, including versions of "A Lover's Holiday", "It's A Girl's Affair", "Angel In My Pocket", "The Glow Of Love", "Searching", "The End", "Paradise", "Hold Tight", "Stop For Love", and "On Top".

Singlehandedly stopping the flight to the suburbs during those key postwar years, Petula Clark forever changed the urban landscape when she belted out the great 60s pop hit "Downtown". This groovy set includes all the original "city pop" tracks from the original Downtown album, plus a few other singles of the same vintage, also with arrangements by the great Tony Hatch. Titles include "You Belong To Me", "Music", "In Love", "Crying Through A Sleepless Night", and "Now That You've Gone".

Bootsy's tightening things up a bit from before, but still sounding plenty darn great – that classic Collins groove in all its P-Funk glory! All the best elements are certainly in place – production by George Clinton and Bootsy, horn arrangements by Fred Wesley, and the slinky soulful sound that made Bootsy's albums some of the most enduring of the P-Funk posse. The album shows a bit of the transformation in soul bass playing that Bootsy helped to foster during the late 70s – but it's still not as "whompin" as some of the many groups that were springing up in his wake – a good thing, to us, because so many of Bootsy's imitators had a way of playing their bass way too much! Titles include "Mug Push", "Is That My Song", "It's A Musical", "Sound Crack", and "Fat Cat".

Pre shock rock psychedelia from Alice Cooper – more of a Detroit reared answer to early Pink Floyd than it is a clue to the early metal horror show to come – and as such, it's actually a heck of a lot better than you might be expecting! Since most people never even heard Pretties For You until long after Alice became a notorious rock star, we're thinking it's been judged unfairly in most circles. We hear rare psychedelia by the bucketful that's not as good as this album, but celebrated by rare psych diggers purely for their obscurity. Titles include "10 Minutes Before The Worm", "Sing Low, Sweet Cheerio", "Reflected", "Apple Bush", "Earwigs To Eternity" and more.

Rich, proud work from Randy Crawford – sung with the mature mix of jazz and soul that made her one of the more sophisticated mainstream singers of her generation! The album's heavy on mellower cuts, but it's never too sleepy – thanks to a slow-burning sensibility that Randy uses to keep things cooking on the low burners – a style that brings out some good vocal force even when the backings are somewhat gentle. Production's by Tommy LiPuma, and somewhat slick, and tracks include "You Might Need Somebody", "That's How Heartaches Are Made", "Two Lives", "You Bring The Sun Out", "Rio De Janeiro Blue", "Time For Love", "Trade Winds", and "When I Lose My Way".

One of those great records where Paulinho Da Viola wonderfully demonstrates why he's so different than some of his contemporaries – a samba singer at heart, but also a poet with a depth that goes way beyond the usual! The tunes here have a simple sort of start, but often unfold with a surprising charm that gets to us – way beyond the boundaries of language – that sort of feeling we get when we listen to some of Chico Buarque's classic recordings, and are pulled in deep, just because the songs are so great! Not all tunes are originals – although most of the best certainly are – and titles include "So O Tempo", "Rumo Dos Ventos", "Amor Ingrato", "Nos Ols Folioes", "Brancas E Pretas", and "Meu Violao".

One of Miles' last great albums – a soundtrack composed in conjunction with Marcus Miller, and recorded with a mix of atmospheric electronics and trumpet solos, coming off in a way that sounds far better than most of his other attempts at this style fro the time. Miller plays all the other instruments in the set, apart from some occasional guest work by players that include John Scofield, Earl Klugh, Omar Hakim, and Jason Miles. Titles include "Conchita", "Lament", "Los Feliz", "Lost In Madrid", "Siesta", "Kitt's Kiss", and "Wind".

A nice collaboration between Miles and Marcus Miller from the latter part of Miles career. As much of the recording here is overdubbed, with many multiple instruments played by Miller, it doesn't have the improvised vibe of Miles' classic performances, but the songwriting and arrangements are head and shoulders above much of the contemporary jazz being recorded at the time, Miles is in great form, and the glossy production sits better with us now than ever before. Paulinho DaCosta, George Duke, Michael Urbaniak and Bernard Wright all make guest appearances. 8 tracks in all: "Tutu", "Tomaas", "Portia", "Splatch", "Backyard Ritual", "Perfect Way", Don't Lose Your Mind" and "Full Nelson".

A side from Deodato's soul-based years with a nice little R&B-inspired groove! Happy Hour was done at a time when Deodato was really getting into a lot of modern soul production and arranging work with other groups – and here, he tries his hand wonderfully at the style himself – transforming his 70s jazz funk groove into a tightly snapping 80s soul approach! Most tracks on the set feature vocals – by singers who include Kelly Barretto, Eban Kelly, and Candi Staton – but the instrumentation behind them is still plenty jazzy too, thanks to some nice work by Deodato on Fender Rhodes, mini moog, Arp, and other keyboards. Titles include "I Never Get Enough", "Keep On Movin", "Happy Hour", "Just This One Night", "Tears Of A Clown", "Sweet Magic", and "Keep It In The Family".

The first big Paul Desmond solo album of the 60s – and a standout set that's very much in the tradition of his best work on RCA! This rare side was cut for Warner Brothers during a time when they were taking a brief dip into jazz – and it's a rarely-heard set that features Jim Hall on guitar, Connie Kay on drums, and Percy Heath on bass, all backing up Paul with a spare "after hours" sound that's a marked change from his tightly woven work with Brubeck. Desmond's alto is full of possibilities here – working wonders with familiar tunes like "Greensleeves", "You Go To My Head", "Time After Time", and "East Of The Sun" – as well as with the John Lewis modern number "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West".

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more.

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more.

Titles include "Romeo & Juliet", "Skateaway", "Les Boys", "Hand In Hand", "Solid Rock", and "Tunnel Of Love".

Flaming Lips at their most gonzo – the 4 disc set Zaireeka – with each intended to be played simultaneously! Call your friends with portable turntables and make it happen!

Great songs, great vocals, great instrumentation, and another late 70s classic from Michael Franks – one of the few mainstream masters of understatement in his generation! As on all his best albums, the style here is a subtle blend of jazz and pop with a bit of a Brazilian inspiration – kind of a more mainstream take on styles that Bob Dorough and Blossom Dearie had first put forth, with all the sort of hip songwriting that sort of reference might imply. Deodato's at the helm of the arrangements here – keeping things lean and clean, and using key contributions from players like Leon Pendarvis, John Tropea, Steve Gadd, and Bud Shank to flesh out the jazzier side of Franks' sound. Titles include "Wrestle A Live Nude Girl", "In Search Of The Perfect Shampoo", "Vivaldi's Song", "Dear Little Nightingale", "When The Cookie Jar Is Empty", "A Robinsong", and "Meet Me In The Deerpark".

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers".

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers".

Pretty sweet stuff from Joao Gilberto – featuring a core jazz combo playing along with a larger set of arrangements, in a manner that's similar to some of Jobim's work from the 70s. The album features a nice vocal version of Jobim's "Wave" and "Zingaro", plus the tracks "Estate", "Tin Tin Por Tin Tin", and "Besame Mucho".

The best of Brazil, old and new – as Joao Gilberto meets up with a younger generation of Brazilian vocalists – Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethania – all for a wonderful session of stripped-down bossa! The work is very much in Joao's best style of the early 70s – a back to basics return, handled with even more intimacy than before – with production by Gilberto, and some beautifully understated arrangements from Johnny Mandel! Tracks are all nice and long, and allow for lots of vocal interplay between the four singers on the set. Titles include "Cordeiro De Nana", "Aquarela Do Brasil", "Milagre", and "Bahia Com H".

Larry Graham hits the slow jam generation – stepping aside from his funkier groove for this classic album – a record that gave the world a huge crossover cut in the title track! The main focus here is on Larry's vocals, not his basswork – and he does a surprisingly good job as a modern soul male vocalist on the set – one who's a bit more fragile and human at points than some of his contemporaries – still somewhat smooth, but not always as polished. Titles include the megahit "One In A Million You", plus "There's Something About You", "Forever Yours", "When We Get Married", "I Just Can't Stop Dancing", "I'm So Glad It's Summer Again", and "Sunshine Love & Music".

Quite possibly the best album to feature the talents of Chico Hamilton and Eric Dolphy – a set recorded at a time when Dolphy was an up-and-coming player on the west coast scene! Although Chico Hamilton had recorded with unusual reed players before, Dolphy brings a depth of soul and spirit to this album that's missing from a lot of Chico's earlier work at the time – a style that still holds onto some of the measured qualities of the Pacific Jazz work by the Hamilton group, yet which also opens up into some of the darker corners that Dolphy would explore more on his own recordings of the 60s. The group also features some great guitar by Dennis Budimir and cello by Nathan Gershman – but the real standout aspects of the set come from Dolphy's work on flute, alto, and bass clarinet. Titles include "Where I Live", "Passion Flower", "Tuesday At Two", "Nature by Emerson", "Far East", and "Good Grief, Dennis".

One of the best records that Chico Hamilton cut during the 50s – and one that features Eric Dolphy, who was with Chico's group for a short while! The record's got the quintet (which also includes the excellent Dennis Budimir on guitar) fronting larger string arrangements by Fred Katz (no longer their cellist, but still a key force here) – and the approach is a great expansion on the earlier styles that Chico forged for Pacific Jazz. The strings here are never sleepy, and instead have a dark and modern feel overall – similar to Ralph Burns' best work of the time, but a bit more restrained – and Eric Dolphy's reed work really keeps things interesting, with sharp-edged notes give most of the tracks a fair bit of depth. Titles include "Modes", "Strange", "Don's Delight", "Andante", "Fair Weather", "Something To Live For", and "Pottsville USA".

The start of funky funky Herbie Hancock! This album's the first to feature Herbie really breaking away from his straight jazz work – moving into a groove that's nice and funky, using electric piano along with acoustic, to forge the sound that he'd develop famously over the 70s. The album's got a harder, heavier sound than some of his straight electric ones – and it features a larger group with soloists that include Johnny Coles on trumpet and Joe Henderson on tenor – plus some sweet basslines from Buster Williams – all led by Herbie into a tight soul jazz flurry of excellent tracks! Includes the cuts "Fat Mama" and "Wiggle Waggle", both sample favorites, plus "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and "Lil Brother". Classic stuff, and one of his best records ever!

The start of funky funky Herbie Hancock! This album's the first to feature Herbie really breaking away from his straight jazz work – moving into a groove that's nice and funky, using electric piano along with acoustic, to forge the sound that he'd develop famously over the 70s. The album's got a harder, heavier sound than some of his straight electric ones – and it features a larger group with soloists that include Johnny Coles on trumpet and Joe Henderson on tenor – plus some sweet basslines from Buster Williams – all led by Herbie into a tight soul jazz flurry of excellent tracks! Includes the cuts "Fat Mama" and "Wiggle Waggle", both sample favorites, plus "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and "Lil Brother". Classic stuff, and one of his best records ever!

A massively tripped-out set of guitar-based funk – played to perfection by the legendary Eddie Hazel, best known for his work in the George Clinton P-Funk empire! The album offers a different side of Eddie's talents – one that's produced with a smoothly compressed California groove, in a mode that's almost an extension of some of the themes explored by Shuggie Otis on his own 70s albums – taken with a bit more of a P-Funk style. George Clinton produced the set with Eddie – and the tunes have a nice slow-stepping groove that really opens up the guitar solos wonderfully. The record kicks off with a massive cover of "California Dreamin" – but the whole thing's great, with a wonderfully unified feel throughout! Other titles include "Frantic Moment", "What About It?", "So Goes The Story", "Physical Love", and a great cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".

A breezy bossa classic from Jobim – recorded in LA, in case you couldn't tell from the cover image that has ol' AC standing with his guitar in a Pacific sunset! The sound's got a nice easy finish – with arrangements by Deodato and Maestro Gaya that are very much in the spirit of Jobim's work for larger ensembles – and the album features darkly sophisticated versions of bossa classics like "Preciso Aprender A Ser So", "Berimbau", "Samba Torto", "Chuva", and "Imagem". Nice stuff, and with a bit more punch than the "love and strings" title might imply!

A strangely wonderful album from Jobim – recorded with baroque production by Claus Ogerman, and a style that's similar to the 1973 Jobim album. The sound is perhaps a bit hokey in parts, but most of the time things are pretty sophisticated, with nice jazzy playing Jobim on Fender Rhodes, and some haunting lyrics that differ from the earlier bossa work. Titles include "Boto", "Ligia", "Valse", "Arquitetura De Morar", and "O Homem".

The last good Jungle Brothers LP? Depending on our mood, we might go as far as to say that. In any case, a solid early 90s hip hop album, from the waning years of the Native Tongues. They're peddling a little less knowledge this go 'round, and their sound doesn't come across as quite as inventive as their first 2 albums, but this one still takes us back with cuts like the singles "40 Below Trooper" and "My Jimmy Weighs A Ton". Also includes "Spark A New Flame", "All I Think About Is You", "Simple As That", "JB's Comin Through", and "For The Headz At Company Z".

The classic! This beautiful album showed that Chaka could stand very well on her own two feet without the help of Rufus, thank you. Of course, she's got some fantastic help from Arif Mardin, who works as much magic with Chaka here as he'd worked with Aretha Franklin a decade before. Includes the original version of "I'm Every Woman", which still sounds great today, despite the way that Whitney butchered it a few years ago – plus "Love Has Fallen On Me", "We Got The Love", "Life Is A Dance", and "Sleep On It".

Quintessential 80s groove from Chaka Khan – a great version of Prince's "I Feel For You", remixed here with some really chunky beats and cool sampled vocal bits!

A great album of mellow modern soul tracks recorded in Chaka's post-Rufus years! The record was produced by the great Arif Mardin, the man who made so many of the 70s Atlantic soul records work so well – and he handled Chaka's voice with a sweet sweet sound that you don't always get on her other albums. Includes the great "Papillon", her remake of "Hot Butterfly", plus "Move Me No Mountain", "So Naughty", "Too Much Love", and "Clouds".

Titles include "Elephant Talk", "Frame By Frame", "Thela Hun Ginjeet", and "The Sheltering Sky".

The last of the "revival" King Crimson from the early 80s – featuring the lineup that included Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, and Tony Levin. The style is fairly academic, but Belew's presence still gives the record a bit of heart – something that Fripp had trouble doing on his own, even after all these years. Titles include "Dig Me", "Industry", "Lark's Tongue In Aspic Part 3", "Three Of a Perfect Pair", and "Sleepless".

Some of our favorite Kraftwerk tracks, cold, bubbling Euro-electro numbers off the excellent Computer World LP, with icy synth melodies floating over popping electronic rhythm tracks.

One of Michel Legrand's greatest moments of the late 60s – a sweetly romantic score that lasted a lot longer than the film it was written to accompany! The soundtrack features the haunting "Summer Of 42 Theme", also known as "The Summer Knows" – a drifting sad melody, done up here in a number of versions, and combined with some other orchestral themes written for various emotional passages in the film. Titles include "High IQ", "The Picasso Suite", "Summer Song", "Montage – But Not Full Picasso", "The Danger", and "Awakening Awareness".

A seminal bit of Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the early 70s – the second album from Malo, and an even harder-hitting jam session than the first! The group are really in top form here – taking off with Santana-inspired riffs that are filled with heavy percussion, soaring organ, and guitar from Carlos' brother Jorge – all matched by some incredible horn work from trumpeter Forrest Bachtel and a young Hadley Caliman – sounding especially great here before his solo years as a jazz artist! The legendary Francisco Aguabella is on conga, and tracks include "Momolombo", "Oye Mama", "I'm For Real", "Midnight Thoughts", "Hela", and "Latin Bugaloo".

Wonderful 70s Latin soul from the legendary Bay Area combo that included Jorge Santana, Luis Gasca, and Coke Escovedo! This first album's a masterpiece in the California Latin Soul style – a sweet blend of Latin, jazz, funk, and rock that took up where the New York groups left off at the end of the 60s. The tracks are all pretty long – with some extremely tight instrumental playing, and plenty of room for long jamming solos. But the best part is the vocals – sung by Arcelio Garcia Jr, with a sweet style that's totally excellent. You probably already know that if you've heard the band's big hit "Suavecito", which is included here in a longer version than the original single – but you'll also hear that on the tracks "Café", "Pana", and "Peace".

Sublime 60s instrumental sounds from LA – with a groove that's similar to The Ventures, or some of the lesser-known surf instrumental groups. Includes the group's big hit reading of "Out Of Limits", plus "Bell Star", "Saturn", "Re-Entry", "Other Limits", "Twilight City", and "Limits Beyond".

Spacey electric work from guitarist Pat Martino – a record that seems to be as concerned with sound overall as it is with the jazz stylings of Martino's guitar! The older modes of Martino's 60s soul jazz work are very far gone by now – but in their place is a new sense of space and tone, one that makes him a completely different player altogether! A few cuts get hard and funky – pairing Martino with the fierce keyboard work of Gil Goldstein – while others are mellower and atmospheric, with lots of moody sounds floating along. Titles include "Fall", "Nefertiti", "City Lights", "Blue Macaw", "Prelude", and "Masquerade".

Titles include "Can't Get Over You", "Silky Soul", "Just Us", "Love's On The Run", "Mandela", and "Songs Of Love".

A sublime easy classic by The Mystic Moods – who by this time had transformed from a simple "sound effects plus easy listening" group into a sexy electric LA combo. This is one of their first albums for Warner, recorded with a nice sly slightly-funky sound – and it's a captivating batch of sexy easy tracks that have a nice groove bubbling underneath. Cuts include "Electric Music and The Summer People", "Reason For Staying", "My Love, My Life", and "Crystal Morning". Lots of watery sound effects too!

There's been a big break since Meshell Ndegeocello's last album – but from the sound of the album, it's been worth it! One of the baddest soul singers of the past decade is back in business, and sounding better than ever – serving up a fierce blend of beats and vocals, done in a more laidback format than her previous albums, one that makes for an album that's even more compelling and personal. Titles include "Earth", "Criterion", "Barry Farms", "Legged Griot Trio", "God, Fear, Money", "Hot Night", "Priorities", "Trust", and "Akel Dama".

Trippy baroque studio stuff from the Warner catalog of the late 60s, and a "phonograph opera" written by Tupper Saussy. The LP's got the ambitious intellectual feel of some of the other Warner Brothers releases from this time, like stuff by Van Dyke Parks or the later albums by Harper's Bizarre, and like that stuff, it's got a good sense of humor, and a cool feel that mixes a number of different styles. 8 numbers in all: "Cowboy", "The New Life Out There", "Little Sparrow", "Morning Girl", "Midsummer Night", "The Last Time I Saw Jacqueline", "Morning Girl, Later" and "Brilliant Colors".

The second album from O Terco – the guitar-heavy power trio who were one of the hardest things going in Brazil during the early 70s! The album's got a style that's somewhat progressive, but which also still holds onto plenty of late 60s psychedelic elements – qualities both sweet and dark, often compressed into the arrangements with an approach that's a bit like some of the more underground South American rock of the time. Side one of the album features 5 shorter tracks – "Deus", "Voce Al", "Estrada Vazia", "Lagoa Das Lontras", and "Rock Do Elvis" – and the second side features the 19 minute suite"Amanheger Total" – a soaring, building number with lots of changes throughout!

Van Dyke Parks' masterpiece – and one of the hippest records to come out of LA in the 60s! The album's a strangely anachronistic one – steeped in the kind of past-days scoring found on early records by Harpers Bizarre and Randy Newman (both of which Parks had a hand in!), wrapped around simply poetic songs about the scene and state of affairs in late 60s LA, all handled with a cinematic approach that's aging Hollywood at its best! Titles include Randy Newman's "Vine Street" – plus "By The People", "Laurel Canyon Blvd", "Donovan's Colours", and "The All Golden".

A wonderfully gripping score from Andre Previn – one of his best early dramatic soundtracks! The work's got a style that really befits the dark image on the cover – muted strings that rumble in the background, as other bits of instrumentation – horns, harpsichord, and violin – emerge from the almost watery backdrop of sound. There's a tensness here that's really great – and the sharp-edged harpsichord almost recalls later Italian use of the instrument, especially by Morricone. Titles include "The Morgue", "Edie's Theme", "This Was His Room", "Hidden Jewelry", "The Police Is Waiting", "Figueroa", and "The Dog Attacks".

Here begins the period that Prince went from a fascinating, genre defying hitmaker to an unstoppable cultural force – bringing a bit of a new wave pop punch to the funky synth soul – and somehow crafting some of the most irresistible singles of the 80s! We can't imagine anyone being able to convince us that 2 better singles than "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" came out of the 80s, and both of those are on here – enough said. Titles include "Let's Pretend We're Married", "Lady Cab Driver", "All The Critics Love U In New York", "International Lover", "DMSR", and "Delirious".

Titles include "The Future", "Electric Chair", "Vicki Waiting", "Partyman", "Scandalous", and "Batdance".

Recorded in 1987, but never officially released until 1994, when Prince was trying to get out of his Warners contract. Prince's attempt to return to his more funky side after flirting with more straight pop songs was a Holy Grail amongst collectors for a time, and though we don't like it as much as his first couple of albums, there are more than a few good moments on here, and it certainly stands up better than most of what came after. 8 songs: "Le Grind", "Cindy C", "Dead On It", "When 2 R In Love", "Bob George", "Superfunkycalifragisexy", "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" and "Rockhard In A Funky Place".

A sprawling classic from Prince – that tracks that perfect the pop, funk & soul kaleidoscope of his best 80s jams, and adding a remarkable, previously unexplored depth and breadth of styles! A lot of folks tried to designate Prince's massive, fearless, beginning-of-the-end-of-the-80s epic Sign O The Times as his What's Going On – which was never really fair to Prince, or to Marvin Gaye for the matter – but it's filled with great cuts – including the minimalist funky groover of a title track, with its superficial social consciousness that's very much of its 80s era, and all the more fascinating for that – plus massive hit "U Got The Look", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man", "The Cross", "Hot Thing", and "Starfish & Coffee". 17 tracks in all.

With "Hillbilly", "Black & White Women", "Our Gang", "Bicentennial Prayer", "Black Hollywood", "Mudbone Goes To Hollywood", "Chinese Restaurant", "Acid" and "Bicentennial N!gger".

Pryor really busted into the mainstream with this one – as the album secured him a grammy for best comedy LP in the year it was released. Recorded live in San Francisco, at Don Cornelius' Soul Train – with tracks that include "Wino & Junkie", "Flying Saucers", "Black Man/White Woman", "I Hope I'm Funny", "Exorcist", and "Wino Dealing With Dracula".

Eli Paperboy Reed gamely steps out of the classic soul comfort zone the drums heavy dancefloor tune "WooHoo"! He cover's Robyn's "Call Your Boyfriend" on the flip.

REM's major label debut – the culmination of years spent inching closer and closer to the mainstream – and one of the best examples of the past several decades of a band rooted in the indie rock underground reinventing themselves as superstars, without compromising their uniqueness or overall greatness! The previous couple of albums showed that REM was capable of producing songs with sing-a-long potential – and more powerful rock songs – along with their uniquely moody, often acoustic-based songcraft. This is where they took the biggest step yet in that direction. Michael Stipe really stepped out his shell like never before around this time, and his evolution from indie rock poet to extroverted showman is amazing. Titles include "Pop Song 89", "Get Up", "You Are Everything", "Stand", "World Leader Pretend", "The Wrong Child", "Orange Crush", "Turn You Inside Out", "Air Shirt" and "I Remember California". This great 25th Anniversary remastered deluxe edition includes expanded fold-out poster, 4 postcards, plus an incredible bonus CD – 21 songs recorded live in Greensboro, NC on November 10, 1989 – including "Stand", "The One I Love", "Turn You Inside Out", "Belong", "Exhuming McCarthy", "Orange Crush", "Get Up", "Fall On Me", "Finest Worksong", "Live And How To Live It", "It's The End Of The World As We Know It", "Pop Song '89" and more.

REM's major label debut – the culmination of years spent inching closer and closer to the mainstream – and one of the best examples of the past several decades of a band rooted in the indie rock underground reinventing themselves as superstars, without compromising their uniqueness or overall greatness! The previous couple of albums showed that REM was capable of producing songs with sing-a-long potential – and more powerful rock songs – along with their uniquely moody, often acoustic-based songcraft. This is where they took the biggest step yet in that direction. Michael Stipe really stepped out his shell like never before around this time, and his evolution from indie rock poet to extroverted showman is amazing. Titles include "Pop Song 89", "Get Up", "You Are Everything", "Stand", "World Leader Pretend", "The Wrong Child", "Orange Crush", "Turn You Inside Out", "Air Shirt" and "I Remember California".

Rosemary's got a sound that's a lot groovier than her look on the cover might imply – a mature female 70s sort of pop – served up in a blend of Brazilian and European influences! The arrangements are by Ze Roberto and Jan Guest – and often have a slightly slinky quality that's really great – a gentle groove with a bit of keyboards, guitar, or flute at the background, all of which offset Rosemary's lightly breathy vocals nicely. There's a slight groove on a few tracks – but a very mellow one – and titles include "Viva Bem", "Quero Ser Sua", "Tema De Adao", "Fechei A Porta", "De Mim P'Ra Voce", and "Uma Nova Vida".

Warm and wonderful soul from David Ruffin – key proof that the singer could keep on going strong, long after his earlier fame at Motown! The record's got a new sense of sophistication that really breaks David into new territory – a style that's nicely different than the backings Ruffin got from Van McCoy in his later Motown years – and which opens up a more mature sound, courtesy of producer Don Davis – who's casting Ruffin in the same blend of rough and smooth that worked so well for The Dramatics! There's a sophistication here that's completely sublime – a sound that's right up there with Leroy Hutson or Leon Ware – and most tunes hit a mellow or midtempo mode that's totally great! Tracks include "Chain On The Brain", "Break My Heart", "Morning Sun Looks Blue", "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me", "So Soon We Change", and "Sexy Dancer".

A great album of modern soul that always seems to get overlooked! The record was produced by Mtume and Reggie Lucas, and a lot of it has a sweet mellow vibe that reminds us of Leon Ware or Leroy Hutson. The title cut "One Way Love Affair" is a killer, and the record includes other nice ones like "Sit Up", "Love Can't Wait", "Midnight Love Dance", and "Make Up Your Mind".

Paul Simon's mid 80s landmark – a record that brought together Simon's unique voice and pop folk songwriting skill with South African, Chicano, zydeco other global musical styles – held together by some of the best songs Simon ever put together! With lesser material, this would feel like the well-intentioned "world music" album by an aging star, but Simon transcends that in a big way with catchy, intelligent songs and expert production. Includes "The Boy In The Bubble", "Graceland", "Duanonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes", "You Can Call Me Al", "Under African Skyes", "All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints" and more.

A great little record that's way more jazz than some of Joanie Sommers' other albums – thanks to arrangements from Marty Paich and Tommy Oliver – both of whom help things stay lively, even when sweet – and almost give the album a similar feel to some of the best Bethlehem or Mode label jazz vocal sides of the 50s! Joanie's got none of her pop trappings here – and her vocals are nicely deep and mature – really feeling out the songs with a deeply personal vibe, and way more grown-up than we might have expected. The album's a real standout from Sommers' too-short career – and titles include "What's New", "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", "Something I Dreamed Last Night", "Oh But I Do", "That Old Devil Moon", and "So In Love".

The Staple Singers pick up a great Chicago soul groove – with production by Eugene Record and arrangements by Tom Tom Washington – all in a sound that's almost as if they'd left Stax Records and started to record for Brunswick! The groove's every bit as soaring and joyous as Record and Washington crafted a few years before in the Chicago indie scene – with perhaps just a few more late 70s elements to round things out, including some tightly funky guitar bits and a few quick-stepping rhythms that nicely push the Staples towards the dancefloor! Titles include "Family Tree", "What You Doing Tonight", "I Honestly Love You", "See A Little Further", "Color Me Higher", "Let's Go To The Disco", and "Boogie For The Blues".