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A stone classic from Cannonball Adderley – and a pivotal set that has him continuing the live recording setting of some of his best 60s albums, while also stretching forward to some of the more inventive ideas of the latter part of the decade! David Axelrod produced, and the album's... read more

A stone classic from Cannonball Adderley – and a pivotal set that has him continuing the live recording setting of some of his best 60s albums, while also stretching forward to some of the more inventive ideas of the latter part of the decade! David Axelrod produced, and the album's... read more

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of... read more

A nice collection of some of Cannon's bigger numbers for Capitol in the 60s – most of them longer tracks, some of them recorded live, with a bit of production help from David Axelrod! The grooves are firmly in place – not as tripped out and funky as later years, but a good updating of... read more

Cannonball Adderley with David Axelrod production – a combination that couldn't miss back in the 60s! In keeping with the success of the Mercy Mercy Mercy album done with Axelrod, Capitol did everything they could to catch Cannonball in a live setting – a great move, given the open,... read more

A great lost chapter in the Cannonball/David Axelrod story! The record features Cannon's classic quintet performing some longer, more serious works with orchestral backing – and the sound is vaguely similar to some of Axelrod's "high concept" work for Capitol. The record features... read more

Fantastic work from the Cannonball Adderley Quintet – one of their greatest performances from the seminal early 60s years! The band at this time includes Cannon on alto, Nat on cornet, Victor Feldman on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and although Feldman's not as... read more

A totally great set by Cannonball Adderley – one of his funkiest albums ever, recorded live at Operation Breadbasket under the supervision of Jesse Jackson, and a session in which the band is cooking a lot more than on some of their other albums from the time! The set grooves hard with some... read more

A totally great set by Cannonball Adderley – one of his funkiest albums ever, recorded live at Operation Breadbasket under the supervision of Jesse Jackson, and a session in which the band is cooking a lot more than on some of their other albums from the time! The set grooves hard with some... read more

A nice once – certainly not as funky as some of Cannon's other work for Capitol, but with a dark edge that really makes it great! The core Cannonball quintet of Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, et al, is set up in string arrangements by Ray Ellis – a bit flowery at times, but in a way that... read more

Excellent live set from the early 70's, featuring George Duke, Airto, Ernie Watts, and brother Nat. David Axelrod produced, and the LP's got that nice hard funky sound that he did so well during his stint with Cannonball. Includes the 12 minute groover "The Brakes", plus "Oh... read more

Prime material from Cannonball and David Axelrod – and despite the biblical leanings of the title, the record is pretty darn funky! As they did for the Zodiac, Cannonball and Axelrod take a trip through a host of cultural milestones – stopping along the way to turn each one into a new... read more

One of the coolest, baddest, funkiest albums Cannonball Adderley ever recorded – a massive suite of tunes based on the signs of the Zodiac, produced to perfection by David Axelrod, and featuring some hip recitations from the mighty Rick Holmes! The double-length set is completely compelling... read more

One of the coolest, baddest, funkiest albums Cannonball Adderley ever recorded – a massive suite of tunes based on the signs of the Zodiac, produced to perfection by David Axelrod, and featuring some hip recitations from the mighty Rick Holmes! The double-length set is completely compelling... read more

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and... read more

A massive look at the mighty pairing of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – a partnership that's way more than just jazz musician and producer! Axelrod's talents in the studio are many, but his greatest heights were possibly reached in collaboration with Cannonball – a relationship... read more

A really unique little album from Cannonball's all-great late years at Capitol – a session that features some strong influences from Brazilian music – "The Happy People" – and production from the legendary David Axelrod! The mix makes for a really unique little record... read more

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A fantastic bit of spacey soul – and an amazing collaboration between the Mizell Brothers and vocalist Rance Allen! The set's quite different than Rance's earlier, rootsier work for Stax – and instead has the soaring, joyous quality of some of the other great Mizell productions from... read more

Early 60s surf rock from ace guitarist Richie Allen & The Pacific Surfers – another prime example of the excellent slices of expertly crafted, yet vaguely trashy instrumentals Capitol Records was cranking out in the era! There's a seedy quality to these gems that's really wonderful... read more

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Breezy bossa nova – Hollywood 60s style! The album's one of the best cut for Capitol by guitarist Laurindo Almeida – and has a sweet groovy little style that features Laurindo's lovely guitar work over some lightly dancing small combo backings that include flute, harmonica, organ,... read more

A very groovy album by Laurindo Almeida – one of his best bossa cookers in a swinging 60s mode! The album features lots of great acoustic guitar from Laurindo, but spun over fuller arrangements by Lex De Azvedo, Clare Fischer, and Dick Grove – all of whom get that right sort of jaunty,... read more

Bossa guitar, dreamy orchestrations, and a wonderful American take on the Brazilian sound of the 60s – served up with sparkling Capitol Records production in a set that's easily one of the greatest by guitarist Laurindo Almeida! Almeida's guitar is matched here with some lightly jazzy... read more

A sweet little album from Laurindo Almeida and his "Bossa Nova All Stars" – not a group of Brazilian musicians, and instead a hip set of LA players who really help make the set sparkle! There's a bit more jazz here than on some of Laurindo's other Capitol records of the time –... read more

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Dang, these guys could never miss! Even in later years, Ashford and Simpson were still going strong – working here in a wonderfully mellow style that's as soulful for the moment as their mid 70s groovers were for that time. The album's got a sweet modern style that's pretty much in the... read more

Stunning! This is David Axelrod's rare suite of tracks dedicated to saving the enviroment with a set of jazzy funky grooves! The record's probably his most baroque album ever, with a big group of jazz players that mixes vibes, guitars, and off-kilter reeds – plus a group of singers who... read more

A masterpiece! This is one of David Axelrod's most perfectly realized albums – and it's a brilliant batch of baroque arrangements, jazzy solos, and slightly subtle funky bits! The album contains the much-sampled song "Holy Thursday", but the whole thing has a very similar feel to... read more

A masterpiece! This is one of David Axelrod's most perfectly realized albums – and it's a brilliant batch of baroque arrangements, jazzy solos, and slightly subtle funky bits! The album contains the much-sampled song "Holy Thursday", but the whole thing has a very similar feel to... read more

One of the greatest albums ever by studio genius David Axelrod! The album's one of Axelrod's first on his own – cut for Capitol Records at a time when he was working with some of the label's biggest selling soul acts – like Cannonball Adderley and Lou Rawls – turning their... read more

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Titles include "Rags & Bones", "Acadian Driftwood", "Hobo Jungle", "Ophelia", and "It Makes No Difference".... read more

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Susan Barrett sings about love's varied moods – and gets some pretty great help here from Kenyon Hopkins – an arranger who's got plenty of great moods of his own! Barrett's vocals have this deep-ranged style that's less swinging than you might expect for a singer working with Hopkins... read more

A sublime second solo effort from Syd Barrett – and maybe his most perfectly-formed album ever! There's a sinister balance to the record right from the start – a gentle approach to the offbeat themes that is almost more unsettling than if the matter was undertaken more forcefully... read more

The brilliant full exposure of the voice that was always buried in the larger sounds of Pink Floyd – a definite madcap romp from the amazing Syd Barrett – and a record that still sounds as captivatingly chilling all these many decades later! There's a stripping-down here that's really... read more

A Syd Barrett treasure trove – and an essential compilation of unreleased work that's a much-needed companion to Barrett's classic albums for EMI! The material here is all from the years 1968 to 1970 – tracks recorded before, during, and around the sessions that later became The Madcap... read more

The soundtrack that put John Barry over the top – and to many, THE James Bond soundtrack! The album chills from the first notes of the haunting title theme – the majestic "Goldfinger", sung by Shirley Bassey with a tone that's as dangerous as a razor-sharp hat spinning... read more

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A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion – and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell – a studio genius who could focus on the best talent of a jazz artist, then expand it using additional... read more

A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion – and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell – and more proof that Mr. M was a genius in the studio who could completely transform anyone's sound into a... read more

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2 rare slices of exotica by Les Baxter – back to back on one CD! The first half of the set features material from the album Ports Of Pleasure – a dreamy exploration of south sea ideals that's got a more lightly drifting quality than some of Baxter's more percussive exotica albums, and... read more

One of the rarest Les Baxter albums – and one of the best! The theme is undersea exotic – and Les uses a swirling mix of strings, piano, organ, flute, and electronics to create a haunting sound that makes you feel like you've discovered some hidden grotto under the sea, filled with... read more

A masterpiece of exotica! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple... read more

Genius work from Les Baxter – two of his best albums for Capitol, back to back on one CD! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the... read more

Very groovy LP of bongo-oriented tracks conducted by Les Baxter for "young America" (or so says the label!) The overall feel is nice and jazzy, and the tracks have a nice snapping bongo sound. Tracks include "Reverberasia", "Bustin the Bongos", "Brazilian... read more

A 2LP set, released in the mid 60's as a "Capitol Record Club Exclusive" – and one that compiles some of Baxter's best work for the label. The inside of the cover has some good notes on Baxter's career, and the record contains many nice moments like "Dancing Diamonds",... read more

One of the rarest albums by Les Baxter – and one of the best! The record features an excellent batch of "space exotica" tracks, set amidst some very lively arrangements, all packaged in one of the greatest album covers of the 50s! Les' writing and leading are as excellent as... read more

A classic theremin set!... read more

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An earlier classic from The Beach Boys – and easily one of their best records from the prime sun and surf era for the group – with rave up rockers and some sweet ballads! So much as been written about the foreboding behind-the-scenes circumstances in Beach Boys lore, even during these... read more

A really cool little album from the Beach Boys – a set that definitely takes its "party" title seriously, in a way that has the group singing in a somewhat live and spontaneous manner! There's sort of a "live in studio" feel here – with production that's less... read more

A repackaged version of the album Summer Days & Summer Nights – one of those stupid Capitol reissues that somehow contains less tracks than the original album! Fortunately, there's enough good stuff on here to make this one worth checking out – like some key pre-Pet Sounds gems... read more

A definitive Beach Boys collection that graced many a stereo back in the 70s!... read more

"Little Deuce Coupe" makes a second appearance on a Beach Boys album – this time around as a leadoff track to show the group's versatility on the hot rod market! Despite the change from surf themes, though, the music here is magically the same – sublime Wilson family... read more

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a... read more

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The Beach Boys' installment in Capitol's hot rod-themed Shut Down series – the first edition of which was devoted to a host of different artists! It's clear that even in this setting, The Beach Boys have way more to offer than just a few gimmicky car songs – as the record offers some... read more

My God – they finally did it! After all these years of hearing about the legendary Smile album from The Beach Boys – hearing snippets on other albums, studio bonus tracks, re-recordings, and all the other sources they've dangled in front of us for decades – Capitol's finally gone... read more

My God – they finally did it! After all these years of hearing about the legendary Smile album from The Beach Boys – hearing snippets on other albums, studio bonus tracks, re-recordings, and all the other sources they've dangled in front of us for decades – Capitol's finally gone... read more

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the... read more

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the... read more

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A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new... read more

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A record with "surf" in the title, but one that's light years from the earlier Beach Boys albums of the 60s! This set is a wonderfully mature effort – hardly surf music at all, and one that moves nicely in the same territory as Sunflower and 20/20! Some of the tunes are... read more

Sweet and dreamy early work from The Beach Boys – an album that has their mellow harmonies taking shape wonderfully – as heard famously on the title track! That sublime gem begins the great little set– a record that has a few hits and some even better obscure numbers – the... read more

Early work from The Beach Boys, but Brian Wilson's genius is already starting to show – tucked in between some more obviously poppy numbers that first put the group on the map! The album obviously features the big title hit, but there's some other great gems here that are much lesser known... read more

A rare Beach Boys treasure – an ultra-limited 10" single that almost makes us think we're getting their music on a 78rpm disc! The heavy vinyl is packaged in a cool gatefold cover – and features the first two songs ever issued by the group!... read more

A surprisingly great comeback for The Beach Boys – working here with Brian Wilson at the production helm, in a mode that really recalls the glory of the group's post-Pet Sounds years! We'll be honest that we were initially cringing at the title – and expected the worst – but... read more

A pre-Pet Sounds moment of genius from The Beach Boys – a record with some surprisingly wonderful songs tucked in amongst more familiar rockers! There's a growing brilliance here that's clearly evident in Brian Wilson's production, the tunes tender themes, and the complicated harmonics used... read more

A wonderful gem from the glory days of Capitol Records west coast rock and roll – and one of those cool little records in which the label moved past the concept of a lead artist, in order to showcase a great range of songs in a particular style! As you'd guess from the title and cover, the... read more

Hip hop lifers and genre-defiant pop art blenders The Beastie Boys deliver the Hot Sauce – either their 8th or 9th album in 25 years, depending on how you count the Mix Up instrumentals set – and it sounds to us like a return to the good times hip hop funk style-hopping that the Boys... read more

The Beasties' masterpiece – and one of the original nightmares for sampling opponents everywhere – the cut & paste hip hop classic Paul's Boutique! The Dust Brothers unapologetic way of weaving very famous samples with soul, funk and film score obscurities would steal the show if... read more

Another strong set by the Beastie Boys – who would obviously rather put out a very good album every five or six years, than a sub par album every year or two! Arguably, the Beasties broke all the of the ground that they ever will prior to 2004, but that doesn't mean that they're done making... read more

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A great pre-Rubber Soul moment – with tracks that include "Honey Don't", "I Feel Fine", "Baby's In Black", "Mr Moonlight", "I'll Follow The Sun", and "No Reply".... read more

Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Every Little Thing", and "Yes It Is".... read more

Titles include "Roll Over Beethoven", "Thank You Girl", "She Loves You", "I'll Get You", and "I Call Your Name".... read more

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Includes "Help", "The Night Before", "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", "Ticket To Ride", and "I Need You".... read more

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the... read more

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the... read more

Titles include "This Boy", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Not A Second Time", "I Wanna Be Your Man", and "I Want To Hold Your Hand".... read more

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A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the... read more

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the... read more

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had... read more

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had... read more

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A great American-only album from the Rubber Soul generation – with titles that include "Nowhere Man", "Drive My Car", "Dr Robert", "Act Naturally", "Day Tripper", "And Your Bird Can Sing", and "If I Needed Someone".... read more

A really unique album from Molly Bee – a singer with country roots, but who comes across here like some of the best jazz vocalists on late 50s Capitol Records! Backings might have a touch of western in the mix – like some occasional steel guitar or backing vocals – but they've... read more

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