An early 70s gem from Captain Beefheart – not as wild-eyed and whacked out as the late 60s glories – but still a good stretch weirder than most of the post psych, blues-steeped rock of the time! Ultimately, it's still Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, despite it being billed solely to Captain Beefheart on the cover (and his only album NOT co-billed with The Magic Band) – and we'd say it's their first album to go for a consistent mood from beginning-to-end, and we love it for that! If the Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby records are the more feral early twin masterpieces – we'd say this one and Clear Spot are the wiser and more focused siblings, but no less classic! Tracks include "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby","Grow Fins", "There Ain't No Santa Clause On The Evenin' Stage", "Blabbern Smoke", "Alice In Blunderland", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Glider". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". CD

Mindblowing music from Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – a record that's got plenty of garagey grit at the core, but which also has a heady freak rock vibe overall! The 1967 album really captures this perfect moment – one when so many artists like Don Van Vliet had their feet in older rockish modes, but were really tripping out with new ideas – able to get nice and freaky in the course of a short tune, yet still never lose a groove that really helped send the music home! In other words, there's nothing too hippieish about the record, and nothing that's ever too self-indulgent – yet the blend of organ, guitar, and drums is completely mindblowing – and as revolutionary today as it was back then. Titles include "Abba Zabba", "Dropout Boogie", "Zig Zag Wanderer", "Electricity", "Yellow Brick Road", "Grown So Ugly", and "Autumn's Child". CD

An early 70s gem from Captain Beefheart – not as wild-eyed and whacked out as the late 60s glories – but still a good stretch weirder than most of the post psych, blues-steeped rock of the time! Ultimately, it's still Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, despite it being billed solely to Captain Beefheart on the cover (and his only album NOT co-billed with The Magic Band) – and we'd say it's their first album to go for a consistent mood from beginning-to-end, and we love it for that! If the Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby records are the more feral early twin masterpieces – we'd say this one and Clear Spot are the wiser and more focused siblings, but no less classic! Tracks include "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby","Grow Fins", "There Ain't No Santa Clause On The Evenin' Stage", "Blabbern Smoke", "Alice In Blunderland", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Glider". Great 2LP version features lots of rare tracks – the never issued full length versions of "I'm Gonna Booglarize You" and "Pompadour Stomp" – plus the instrumental "Semi Multicolored Caucasian", and the tracks "Harry Irene", "Best Batch Yet (version 1)", "I Can't Do This Unless I Can Do This/Seam Crooked Sam", "The Witch Doctor Life (inst)", and "Two Rips In A Haystack/Kiss Me My Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great batch of kick ass rock and roll tunes – southern fried, but done with a cosmic undercurrent that makes for a mighty weird approach! The drums are amazing – fierce right from the get-go, in a way that has made the record a favorite with break collectors for years – and the fuzzy guitars really step out strongly too – with just a slight southern twang, and a great edge that keeps things pretty funky at parts! Bobby Caldwell is in the group on percussion, piano, vibes, and bells – and he also co-wrote most of the songs on the album – and titles include the classic "Dancing Madly Backwards", plus "Myopic Void", "Frozen Over", "Thousand Days Of Yesterdays", "As The Moon Speaks", and "Astral Lady". CD

Mindblowing music from Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – a record that's got plenty of garagey grit at the core, but which also has a heady freak rock vibe overall! The 1967 album really captures this perfect moment – one when so many artists like Don Van Vliet had their feet in older rockish modes, but were really tripping out with new ideas – able to get nice and freaky in the course of a short tune, yet still never lose a groove that really helped send the music home! In other words, there's nothing too hippieish about the record, and nothing that's ever too self-indulgent – yet the blend of organ, guitar, and drums is completely mindblowing – and as revolutionary today as it was back then. Titles include "Abba Zabba", "Dropout Boogie", "Zig Zag Wanderer", "Electricity", "Yellow Brick Road", "Grown So Ugly", and "Autumn's Child". CD version has 7 bonus tracks, with alternate takes and more. Essential! CD

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – a record that's got plenty of garagey grit at the core, but which also has a heady freak rock vibe overall! The 1967 album really captures this perfect moment – one when so many artists like Don Van Vliet had their feet in older rockish modes, but were really tripping out with new ideas – able to get nice and freaky in the course of a short tune, yet still never lose a groove that really helped send the music home! In other words, there's nothing too hippieish about the record, and nothing that's ever too self-indulgent – yet the blend of organ, guitar, and drums is completely mindblowing – and as revolutionary today as it was back then. Titles include "Abba Zabba", "Dropout Boogie", "Zig Zag Wanderer", "Electricity", "Yellow Brick Road", "Grown So Ugly", and "Autumn's Child" – this version includes 9 bonus tracks! CD

One of best ever records by gonzo rock genius Captain Beefheart and his incredible Magic Band – the proper follow up to Trout Mask Replica – and they;re still at the height of their powers! Art Tripp's marimba and percussion gives the group an extra rhythmic complexity, not that they EVER lacked for that, even while the bands strips down some of the more meandering tendencies of Trout. They don't skim on the aural art, even with the more focused approach, making one a leaner effort, but just as much a masterpiece. Tracks include "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "I Love You, You Big Dummy", "Bellerin' Plain", "Petrified Forest", and "The Smithsonian Institute Blues (Or The Big Dig)". This may very well be their finest moment. CD

A surprisingly great batch of kick ass rock and roll tunes – southern fried, but done with a cosmic undercurrent that makes for a mighty weird approach! The drums are amazing – fierce right from the get-go, in a way that has made the record a favorite with break collectors for years – and the fuzzy guitars really step out strongly too – with just a slight southern twang, and a great edge that keeps things pretty funky at parts! Bobby Caldwell is in the group on percussion, piano, vibes, and bells – and he also co-wrote most of the songs on the album – and titles include the classic "Dancing Madly Backwards", plus "Myopic Void", "Frozen Over", "Thousand Days Of Yesterdays", "As The Moon Speaks", and "Astral Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". CD

One of the greatest albums by this super-stylized funkster from Chicago! Captain Sky followed very firmly in the P-Funk footsteps – using lots of bass and rocking rhythms to carve out a space-themed groove that had plenty of cool touches! And more than that, the Captain's style was equally well suited to the emerging 80s groove era – and worked well with a nice dose of slight electric touches – not totally wikki-wikki, but certainly setting the stage for that sound! Titles include "Elementary School Of Funk", "Sir Jam A Lot", "Trace Of Love", "Bubble Gum (I Chewz You)", "Tootsie Rock", and "Let Me Come Inside". LP, Vinyl record album

The landmark album from Hampton Grease Band – a group who were every bit as weird and wonderful as contemporaries like Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa – and who work here with a similar sense of wit and freeplay in their instrumentation! Given that the group originally had some blues elements in their music, there's a definite link to Beefheart – and there's a dynamism here that almost feels as if they felt like they conquered blues rock at an early age, when they were working the southern scene – then felt free to play with its elements in whatever way they wanted! Bruce Hampton's vocals are wonderful – almost as weird and skittish as sounds that would later come from the art/punk underground at the end of the decade – and titles include "Halifax", "Maria", "Evans", "Hey Old Lady & Bert's Song", and "Hendon". CD

Here's a compilation that's going after our hearts! As revolutionary as the oft-imitated Bo Diddley beat was in early rock & roll, he doesn't get the credit he deserves for the far reaching impact of his songwriting – having been covered by everyone from Buddy Holly, The New York Dolls, The Shadows Of Night, The Animals, The Pretty Things, Captain Beefheart, Los Lobos and so many more artists of all stripes over the years! This excellent set from Ace Records does a fantastic job of showing not only how far his influence reaches, but also how stylistically adaptable his tunes are. Swamp rock, proto punk, bluesy soul and more. Very well done and each cut is a keeper, with 24 tracks in all: "Bo Diddley" by Buddy Holly, "Crackin Up" by The Gants, "Pills" by New York Dolls, "Road Runner" by The Zombies, "Diddy Wah Diddy" by Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, "Diddley Daddy" by The British Walkers, "You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)" by The Birds, "Who Do You Love" by Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks and many more. CD

32 nuggets from the farther reaches of the British scene in the early years of punk rock – music that goes past some of the bigger names of the time, and which presents an especially English take on the raw sounds that were shaking things up on both sides of the Atlantic as an antidote to the disco and AOR generations! The Cherry Red label was born during these times, and always had a great ear for some of the more unusual, offbeat work – including cuts by artists who were important, but who quickly disappeared from the scene – presented here in both classic 45rpm singles, and some even much more obscure and rare tracks too! The whole thing's got a short, sharp punch throughout – and titles include "Mucky Pup" by Puncture, "Hungry" by The Zeros, "Outside View" by Eater, "Peudo Punk" by O Level, "Chelsea 77" by Maniacs, "Speed Freak" by V2, "Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart" by Patrik Fitzgerald, "Teenage Treats" by The Wasps, "I Don't Want My Heart To Rule My Head" by Social Security, "Murder Of Liddle Towers" by Angelic Upstarts, "Just Another Teenage Rebel" by The Outcasts, "ACAB" by The Rowdies, "19 & Mad" by Leyton Buzzards, "King Of Kings" by The Pack, "Where's Captain Kirk" by Spizzenergi, "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Pure Hell, and "Jilly" by The Pranhas. LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy rock from Moby Grape – a sweet set from the end of the 60s that's as tight and consistent as just about anything else in their early canon – despite the absence of recently departed Skip Spence! The rest of the group really bring out some magic here – on tunes that touch on Byrds-y folk psychedelia and far grittier tunes, too! Underrated and totally worthy work from Moby Grape! Titles include "Ooh Mama Ooh", "Ain't That A Shame", "I Am Not Willing", "Hoochie", "Trucking Man", "Captain Nemo", "Seeing" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Houston Person really sounds great in this later date for Muse Records – definitely the older lion in the title, surrounded by a younger pride of players who really make the record swing! The set's got a rock-solid rhythm section with Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – that kind of in the pocket combo that was often the driving force of a Person-produced Muse Records session like this. Philip Harper's also in the frontline on trumpet, sparkling nicely next to the tenor – and the tunes have a relatively laidback feel, and a rich sound that hardly shows the date of the record at all. Titles include "Dig", "Dear Heart", "Sweet Love", "Like Someone In Love", and "Captain Hook". CD

One of the coolest collections we've heard from Keb Darge in years – not the funk and soul he first gave us when he started putting compilations together, nor the rockabilly and R&B from more recent years – and instead a fantastic array of rare late 60s garage rock and freaky fuzz singles! The set's tone in collaboration with Cut Chemist – another DJ we'd never expect to know this music so well – and together, the pair turn their talent for rare record digging to an arena that never seems to get old – the under-underground of the pre-hippy years, with a stunning selection of tracks by artists who worked in the deep shadows beneath bigger acts like Count Five, The Seeds, or Standells. Half the record is collected by Cut Chemist, the other by Keb – and the package features a whopping 30 tracks in all, most of which we'd never heard before! Titles include "Cry" by The Malibus, "Cuttin Grass" by Caretakers Of Deception, "Project Blue" by The Banshees, "Slander" by Ty Wagner, "Suzy Creamcheese" by Teddy & His Patches, "Nowadays People" by Captain Crunch & The Crew, "Go On Leave" by Red Beard & The Pirates, "In & Out" by Larry & The Blue Notes, "Why Am I Alone"by The Choab, "Can It Be" by The Savoys, "Modman" by The Spacemen, "Baby Go" by The Avantes, "Just Let Me Be" by The Outsiders, and "Come On Baby & Stick Around" by Al's Untouchables. CD

A double-length collection of work from the first chapter of Grand Funk Railroad – that moment when the group was just a power trio, and really helping to move their early blues inspirations into some fierce hard rock territory! The title's a reference to the lineup – Mark Farner on guitar and vocals, Don Brewer on drums and vocals, and Mel Schacher on bass – all working together in a mode that's really transformative over the short space of the material included in the set! At some level, GFR are almost an American equivalent of Free from the UK – a group who clearly have all the chops of the blues heroes they admire, but who are willing to let their hair down and hit more of a rock and roll starpower mode – unafraid to get a bit soulful on the vocals, and really letting their electric strings sing at an equally strong level. Titles include "Into The Sun", "Heartbreaker", "Time Machine", "Loneliness", "Are You Ready", "TNUC", "Inside Looking Out", "Closer To Home/I'm Your Captain", and "Paranoid". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep dive into the sound of Los Angeles in the middle of the 60s – a really well-done box that somehow manages to mix together all the different strains of music that were going on in the city of angels at the time – sunshine pop, garage rock, psych, pop, and even more experimental modes – served up here in a set list that's full of some of the coolest, hippest groups of the time! The box takes its title from a Beach Boys tune, but this isn't a set of well-played oldies from AM radio – and instead, the selection demonstrates the continued appreciation of this period of music over the decades, and the shift in interest to some of the more groundbreaking, obscure groups of the period – served up here with bigger names as well – all with the detailed notes and overflowing amount of tracks that we love from these boxes on the Grapefruit label! There's a massive 90 tracks in all – with work from Mark Eric, Jim & The Lords, The Heroes, Candy Company, Odds & Ends, Spirit, The Misunderstood, Urban Renewal Project, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Captain Beefheart, Ruthann Friedman, The Rogues, Music Machine, Whatt Four, Velvet Illusions, Merrell & The Xiles, Sanctions, Grass Roots, New Wave, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Grains Of Sand, Merry Go Round, Human Expression, Love, Laughing Wind, Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends, Boystown, Gene Clark, and many others! CD

A set that's maybe a bit more standard song-based than some of the Captain's other records, but an album that's still filled with all the special magic that makes Beefheart so great! The magic band includes work from Zoot Horn Rollo on some wonderful glass finger guitar, plus keyboards from Mark Marcellino, bass from Rockett Morton, and plenty of vocals and harmonica from the Captain. Titles include "Upon The My-O-My", "Sugar Bowl", "New Electric Ride", "Magic Be", "Full Moon, Hot Sun" and "This Is The Day". LP, Vinyl record album

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If our jukebox was like this, we'd be rich! The compilation's a much-needed overview of the limited edition 45s issued by the Stones Throw label – a genre-busting blend of hip hop, deep funk, and turntable work – always exciting, and with a style that's unlike anything else we can think of! The package really offers a great sampling of the work on these hard-to-find singles – 22 ultra-hip titles that are as appealing to any fan of classic funk as they are a fan of underground hip hop. Titles include "Getcho Soul Togetha (part 2)" by Breakestra, "Rocket Ship" by Stark Reality, "Harlem River Drive Interlude" and "I Am Singing" by Yesterday's New Quintet, "My 2600" by Captain Funkaho, "Breaks Of Meditate" and "Chops & Thangs" by Beat Conductor, "Things Could Be Better" by Ernie & The Top Notes, "On Point" by Lootpack, "Poppin Popcorn" by The Highlighters, "Devotion 92" by Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf, "Take Me" by Fabulous Souls, "Color" by LA Carnival, "Enter Ralph Wiggum" by A Trak, and "Place Your Bet" by Medaphor. CD

Includes the songs "Buhaina Buhaina", "After You've Gone", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "That's All", "Blues For Sam Nassi", "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over", "The Real Blues", "Carioca Hills", "Exactly Like You", "Georgia On My Mind", "Keep On Pumpin'", "Onion Roll", "Gumbo Hump", "High Heel Sneakers", "Put Your Little Foot Right Out", "Ralph's Boogie", "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Lady Be Good", "Blue Bossa", "Like Someone In Love", "The Flintstones Theme", "Take The "A" Train", "Just Friends", and "Captain Bill". CD

Grand Funk live – stepping out here with all the raw power of the group at the start – the kind of sound that made them a long-running favorite for fans in the know! There's an intensity here right from the start – a blend of bass, drums, and guitar that rivals some of the headiest work coming out of Detroit at the end of the 60s – maybe no surprise, as much of the set was recorded there, where the kickass sound of the group are clearly appreciated by the crowd! If you only thought of these guys as pop rockers, there's plenty here that will blow your mind – a wealth of freak and fuzz on titles that include "Paranoid", "I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home", "Hooked On Love", "Get It Together", "TNUC", and "Inside Looking Out". CD