The mid 90s classic from Aphex Twin – and one of the best, most furiously creative electronic albums of the era! I Care Because You Do is Richard D. James at his peak – sometimes frenetic, sometimes easygoing, always hypnotic beats – and some of the most entrancing ambient atmopherics that he's ever laid down. Wonderful stuff from an electronica pioneer – and one of of the most singular recording artists ever to come out of the ambient techno scene! Includes "Acrid Avid Jam Scred", "The Waxin Pith", "Ventolin (Video Version)", "Wet Tip Hen Ax", "Alberto Balsalm", "Mookid", "Next Heap With" and more. CD

Spare, stretched-out work from tenorist Joe Henderson – one of his hippest recordings of the 80s, and a great live date recorded with just bass and drums for accompaniment! Henderson's horn is heard in great company with the bass of Charlie Haden and drums of Al Foster – both players who really know what to do with the extra time allotted them in the extended setting of the record – making the set a great showcase not just for Joe's raspy tone on tenor, but for their own beyond-rhythm talents as well! The whole thing's great – easygoing and open, but with a really dark edge – and titles include "Ask Me Now", "Serenity", "Beatrice", and "Invitation". This great "complete" version features more material too – titles that include "Visa", "All The Things You Are", and "Rue Chaptal/Royal Roost". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

Warm and mellow soul from Janet Silvera – a set that's a bit lovers rock, but with touches of American mainstream soul of the late 70s – especially the more laidback, easygoing styles! Familiar hits are mixed with originals in a nice way, and at a few spots, there's even some slight trace of clubby modes, which makes for a reggae disco style that almost seems to have Janet at her best! Production is by Peter Gordon Martin, and titles include "Small Talk", "It Wasn't Real", "Oh If I Should Lose Your Love", "Waiting In Vain", "Dancing To My Own Heartbeat", and "Say You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working here at a new level for 70s jazz fusion! Sure, it's as slick as it can be – with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the Brecker Brothers – but thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! There's more than enough interesting jazz funk numbers on here to keep you happy if you dig a soulful fusion groove, and with Steve Gadd and Lenny White on drums, the beats are heavy enough in the right places. Titles include "Tabula Rasa", "Finger Lickin Good", "Funky Sea, Funky Dew", "Squids", "Petals", and "As Long As I've Got Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best studio albums ever from the legendary Von Freeman – and a date that really captures some of the careful essence of his live performances in Chicago! Unlike the previous Atlantic album, which tried to fit Von into a more expected bag, this easygoing Nessa session really lets him open up and take off – blowing tunes that are straight ahead, but always with that offbeat style that turns the songs inside out – making them rich exploratory fields for inventive and creative solos! The group fits Von's longtime credo of never upstaging the leader – which gives his tenor lots of room to blow – and players include John Young on piano , David Shipp on bass, and the great Wilbur Campbell on drums. Titles include a great version of Mancini's "Mr Lucky", plus "Swinging The Blues", "Polka Dots And Moonbeams", and "Have No Fear Soul Is Here". This great Nessa CD version has a killer bonus track, too – the Freeman-composed "Boomerang". CD

Spare, stretched-out work from tenorist Joe Henderson – one of his hippest recordings of the 80s, and a great live date recorded with just bass and drums for accompaniment! Henderson's horn is heard in great company with the bass of Charlie Haden and drums of Al Foster – both players who really know what to do with the extra time allotted them in the extended setting of the record – making the set a great showcase not just for Joe's raspy tone on tenor, but for their own beyond-rhythm talents as well! The whole thing's great – easygoing and open, but with a really dark edge – and titles include "Ask Me Now", "Serenity", "Beatrice", and "Invitation". This great "complete" version features more material too – titles that include "Visa", "All The Things You Are", and "Rue Chaptal/Royal Roost". CD

Not the out there primal scream of Plastic Ono, and more of an impeccably produced, easy to love landmark from John Lennon! The title track, beautiful as it is, is so heavily ingrained into rock & roll myth making machine that it's become too easy to overlook how great most of the songs on the album are. It must be the most consistent of John's LPs post-Beatles, and it's just about as essential as they come. Co-produced by Phil Spector, yet it's often not as grandly orchestrated as a Wall Of Sound effort, and well tailored to Lennon's songs. Includes "Give Me Some Truth", "Oh My Love", "How Do You Sleep?", "Imagine", "Crippled Inside", "Jealous Guy" and "I Don't Want To Be A Soldier". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet set of Polish easy from the end of the 70s, but one that's got a style that's much more in the early 70s mode of other Euro territories – particularly that upbeat, optimistic work from the German economic miracle scene! Tunes have a soaring vibe that's driven by nice drums, tight horns, and these wordless female vocals that often scat along with the grooves – bringing a very lively, playful sort of quality to the whole thing – sunny-sounding, and just right for foot-tapping through a day of hard work and house cleaning! Titles include "El Arenal", "Zagubione Nadzieje", "Sul Mare", "Hacjenda", "Zloty Kask", "Stracony Dzien", "Porty Zagaslych Swiatel", and "Kolorowa Ballada". CD

One of the truly great albums from The Soft Boys – a masterpiece that skirts easy categorization, strolling from the post psych blues stomp, to angular post punk and skronky guitar pop – held together brilliantly by Robyn Hitchcock's wry, brainy and on this record, cynically humorous lyricism. Titles include "Human Music", the should be classic, snarky riff on late era Beatles "The Pigworker", "The Rats Prayer", "Do The Chisel", "School Dinner Blues", "Wading Through A Ventilator", "Return Of The Sacred Crab" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Beck in a largely easygoing, electronic psych pop mode on Hyperspace! A lot of it is produced by Pharrell, whose approach to sparely keyed, yet thick-sounding electronics over prominent beds of beats has long made him one of the more recognizable pop producers out there – and his longevity in his niche is nearly as impressive as Beck's – but Beck's own distinctive stylistic wanderings keep this from ever getting too predictable from track to track. The single "Saw Lightning" actually sounds more like Mellow Gold era Beck than most things he's recorded since, making that track a pretty wild standout here – and other tracks include "Hyperlife", "Uneven Days", "Die Waiting", "Chemical", "See Through", "Hyperspace", "Dark Places", "Star" and "Everlasting Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

Sleazy, greasy early 80s trash rock from the one-and-only Cramps – live at New York's Peppermint Lounge! Includes Cramps classics "You Got Good Taste", "I Ain't Nothin But A Gorehound", "Beautiful Gardens" and more, plus that vicious Cramps take on "She Said" by hillbilly trash rock progenitor Hasil Adkins, "Faster Pussycat" and more. Lux sounds lucid as he ever does one second and like he's about the choke death seconds later, which is The Cramps personified, right? LP, Vinyl record album

The complete recordings of July – a set that features their rare original album, unreleased tracks, and lots of surprisingly great later material too! First up is the self-titled July album from 1968, presented in both mono and stereo mixes – the debut album from July – a group who only gave the world this gem of a record back at the end of the 60s – but who've gone on to become legendary, based on the strength of the set! The whole thing is a real standout in the psych scene of the UK – well-crafted songs that are tight, but groovy and loose at the same time – tuneful, but filled with experiments – and produced with just the right sort of inventive qualities to make the special flourishes and individual moments of genius really come to light! There's so many great things going on here – an all-rich, no-filler record that's filled with gems that include "My Clown", "Dandelion Seeds", "Jolly Mary", "Hallo To Me", "You Missed It All", "The Way", "To Be Free", "Crying Is For Writers", "I See", and "A Bird Lived". Next is Second Of July – a great counterpart to the legendary self-titled album from July – material recorded in a private setting, to predate that psych masterpiece – but every bit as stunning overall! The quality of this work goes way beyond its origins as demo material – as the sound is wonderful, the musical ideas very rich, and overall psychedelic conception is amazing! There's no overindulgence, but also no easy pop psych modes either – and it's really incredible how much these guys can pack into a short song – from unusual guitar lines, to freewheeling rhythms, and trippy ideas in the lyrics. Many numbers have a sweet groove underneath, and are slightly freakbeatish – but there's also a much more unique feel to the record as well. Tracks include "Dandelion Seeds", "You Missed It All", "My Clown", "Friendly Man", "I See", "The Girl In The Cafe", and "Move On Sweet Flower". The box set then moves into two later albums from a re-formed group – Temporal Anomaly and Resurrection – both of which feature material conceived over a number of years, issued on Resurrection in 2013, and on Temporal Anomaly here for the first time ever. Tracks are great – still very much in the spirit of the classic material, and produced with a nicely understated vibe. Last up is The Wight Album – a recent project from July – still sounding surprisingly great after all these years! At this point, the group is a duo – original members Peter Cook and Tom Newman – but they really manage to craft some great sounds here, with a style that ties back to their initial recording in 1968, and which features some of the successful flourishes of their revived activity from about a decade ago! The tunes are way better than any sort of younger attempt at material like this – mostly because there's a nicely understated, although still quite psychedelic, approach to the whole thing – maybe a reminder that with the best psych records, charm is every bit as important as fuzz. Titles on the double-length set include "The Traveler", "Sophie", "Special Guy", "Henry's Squirrel", "Seeking The Hacksaw Blades", "The Game", "What's Gonna Be", "Disco Klingon", "Mods Of Ryde", "It's Up To Me", and "Once When We Was Free". CD

The drama master of hip hop and pretty much all of contemporary pop music returns with his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – a full length hip hop rumination on being hated and the struggle of needing that hate to be creatively fruitful. It's not always an easy listening experience, but it's a hella strong record, and yet another "Album Of The Year" candidate for Mr. West, love him or hate him. Includes "Georgeous" feat Kid Cudi & Raekwon, "Power", "All Of The Lights", "So Apalled" with Jay Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beatz & The RZA, "Runaway" feat Pusha T, "Hell Of A Life", "Blame Game" with John Legend, "Who Will Survive In America" and "Dark Fantasy". The CD/DVD combo special edition includes Kanye's crazy ambitious film Runaway on the DVD. CD

One of the grooviest albums we've ever heard from West Indian trumpeter Shake Keane – a player who's known both for his modern jazz work of the early 60s and his poppier sides of later years – but who's stepping out here in a great blend of both! The format is misleadingly simple, as many of the tracks on the set are 60s covers – making you think that Shake's just going for an easy groove – but amidst the more familiar numbers are also some key originals that step out in an oddly rhythmic way, and which get some unusual inflections from a group that includes either Stan Tracey or Pat Smythe on piano, Bob Efford on tenor and oboe, Coleridge Goode on bass, and Bobby Orr on drums. Shake himself plays flugelhorn on a number of tracks, in a way that evokes some of Art Farmer's excellent Columbia work of the mid 60s – which is also in a similar mode – and although the feel is bright on some tracks, it also has an underlying depth that's extremely compelling – a mix of sweet and dark that we really like. Highlights include the piano-grooving "Fidel", which has some excellent offbeat work from Tracey; a lightly tripping take on Joe Harriott's "Morning Blue"; and the beautifully thematic "New Sunday". Other tracks include "As Tears Go By", "Colours", "Girl", and "Downtown". CD

Funky niceness from Quannum all stars Gift Of Gab & Lateef, plus producer Headnotic of Crown City Rockers – working with team Def Jux – and a stellar roster of guests including MF Doom, Lyrics Born, Casual, Mr Lif, Akrobatic, the Marleys and others. The record reaches for the glory days of the Quannum label, with easygoing spacey beatcraft, and rhymes solid rhymes to match. Tracks include "Monster", "Hands In The Air", "So Sad" feat Julien & Damien Marley, "Gunfight" feat MF Doom, "Ill Vacation" feat Lyrics Born, "Laughing At You" feat Casual, "Escape" feat Mr Lif & Akrobatik, "Folks", "UFC" (rmx) feat DJ Shadow, "WarWalk" feat Chali 2na, Raashan Ahmad, Tash & Zion, "Victorious" and more. CD

One of the truly great albums from The Soft Boys – a masterpiece that skirts easy categorization, strolling from the post psych blues stomp, to angular post punk and skronky guitar pop – held together brilliantly by Robyn Hitchcock's wry, brainy and on this record, cynically humorous lyricism. Titles include "Human Music", the should be classic, snarky riff on late era Beatles "The Pigworker", "The Rats Prayer", "Do The Chisel", "School Dinner Blues", "Wading Through A Ventilator", "Return Of The Sacred Crab" and more. CD

A great counterpart to the legendary self-titled album from July – material recorded in a private setting, to predate that psych masterpiece – but every bit as stunning overall! The quality of this work goes way beyond its origins as demo material – as the sound is wonderful, the musical ideas very rich, and overall psychedelic conception is amazing! There's no overindulgence, but also no easy pop psych modes either – and it's really incredible how much these guys can pack into a short song – from unusual guitar lines, to freewheeling rhythms, and trippy ideas in the lyrics. Many numbers have a sweet groove underneath, and are slightly freakbeatish – but there's also a much more unique feel to the record as well. Tracks include "Dandelion Seeds", "You Missed It All", "My Clown", "Friendly Man", "I See", "The Girl In The Cafe", and "Move On Sweet Flower". CD

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is a sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

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The legend of Teena Marie lives again, and in a really beautiful way – as John Morales serves up tunes that work together almost as a tribute to the memory of the lady – with these really fresh versions that seem to add a lot of majesty to the sound as well! These aren't easy remixes that just focus on the hooks – and instead, Morales strips the tunes down and builds them up from the core – sometimes adding elements that were removed from the original versions that were issued, or bringing in his own touches in ways that make us wonder what sort of magic might have happened, had Motown let John into the studio to produce some of her classic albums. Make no mistake, if you love Teena Marie, you'll find plenty here to love – but the set is also just way more than a set of remixes too – with sublime takes on tunes that include "You're All The Boogie I Need", "I Need Your Lovin", "365", "Portuguese Love", "Chains", "It Must Be Magic", "First Class Love", "Aladdin's Lamp", "Behind The Groove", "Square Biz", "Now That I Have You", "You're All The Boogie I Need", and her duet with Rick James on "Fire & Desire". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks from Full Force, Plaza, Donny Baptiste, Easy Access Orchestra, Metro Orchestra, Herb Meter, VJ-Scan, Jazzanova, Cinematic Orchestra featuring Fontella Bass, Fink, and more. CD

If you've ever wondered why The Beatnuts sound so great, check their list of sources – an incredible range of hard to find soul, jazz, library, and easy tracks – many of which are served up by this excellent set! The package features 24 tracks on 2LPs – and even though we know our samples, we've got to say that there's a few here that really blew our ears off! Titles include "New Dance Craze" by Five Stairsteps, "Black Night" by Eddy Driver, "And I Love Her" by Enoch Light, "Gracias Mi Amor" by Danny Rivera, "Think Twice" by Clive Hicks, "Late Start" by Power House, "Giving Up" by Zulema, "The Look Of Love" by Dick Hayman, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by George Semper, and "First True Love" by Jimmy Ross. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of funky breaks – and better than any other volume in this all-great series! This 5th take on the Right On sound goes way deep – deep enough to cross genres in search of a funky groove, hitting bases across a wide range of Warner/Atlantic jazz, funk, soul, and rock albums to come up with some killer cuts that are incredibly fresh! Most tracks are linked by a love of heavy drums and monster basslines – even though they come from a disparate selection of albums and singles – and the set does an especially nice job of bringing together tracks from records that only have one good track on them – thereby saving you the trouble of paying for the full LP! Wonderful throughout, with tracks that include "15 Degrees" by Sam Samudio, "Pick Up The Pieces" by Willis Jackson, "The Creeper" by Young Holt Unlimited, "Feelin Alright" by Wade Marcus, "Hi Jack" by Herbie Mann, "Spanish Moon" by Little Feat, "Freaks For The Festival" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, "Space A La Mode" by Herb Geller, "Hang Loose" by Don Randi, "Mr Man" by Air, "It Ain't Easy" by Sweetwater, "Leroy The Magician" by Gary Burton, and "Jungle Eyes" by Gene Page. 2LP set features one non-CD cut – "Schirokko" by Passport! LP, Vinyl record album

Radiant grooves indeed from Atlantic Starr – a group who really make things sparkle throughout this magnificent set! The group are at the height of their powers here – skirting a perfect line between mainstream soul and upbeat club – never falling too much into one style or the other, and never sounding as commercial as some of their contemporaries! There's a relaxed, easygoing feel to most of the grooves on the set – never too much fake bass, nor too many electric touches – and the vocals shift a bit from track to track, taking good advantage of singers Wayne Lewis, David Lewis, and Sharon Bryant. Titles include "When Love Calls", "Think About That", "Mystery Girl", "Under Pressure", "My Turn Now", "Does It Matter", and "Send For Me". CD

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's still working out some nutty time signatures here – but apart from the science, the thing that really makes the record cook is Desmond's alto – icy, edgey, floating, and always a treat – almost even more amazing in the space of some of these offbeat numbers. Titles include "Maori Blues", "Far More Drums", "Bluetee", "Far More Blue", and "It's A Raggy Waltz". CD features 2 bonus tracks "Slow & Easy" and "It's A Raggy Waltz (live at Carnegie Hall)". CD

A full helping of work from Claudine Clark – a killer 60s soul singer, and one with a really great ear for upbeat, romping tunes! Claudine originally hails from Georgia, but the work here is much more in Detroit, Chicago, or New York styles of the time – nicely moving numbers with a Motor City blend of tight instrumentation and bold lead vocals – sometimes a bit sweet, but always with enough power to keep up with the grooves in the tunes! The package does a great job of bringing together work from Claudine's varied recording career in the 60s – material done for labels that include Chancellor, Jamie, Fayette, Swan, Herald, and Match – under Clark's name, and the names of Joy Dawn and Sherry Pye as well. CD features full notes on Claudine's music and recording history at the time – plus 24 tracks that include "Party Lights (alt take)", "Gimme A Break", "A Sometimes Thing", "Easy To Love", "The Strength To Be Strong", "The Telephone Game", "Goodbye Mama", "Hang It Up", "Standing On Tip Toe", "Moon Madness", "My Turn To Laugh", "Who Will You Hurt", "Angel Of Happiness", "What Kind Of Party", and "Teenage Blues". CD

The album's no breakout for the Pointer Sisters, as the trio were already at the top of the charts when the set was released – but the whole thing does find a great way to keep the grooves coming in the group's lasting relationship with producer Richard Perry! There's plenty of 80s elements here – basslines, beats, and keyboards – moving the group way past some of the club and pop modes of the 70s – and keeping them perfectly poised for long-term crossover fame for years to come! Case in point is the album's long-running hit "Jump (For My Love)", nestled alongside other cuts that include "Automatic", "I'm So Excited", "I Need You", "Neutron Dance", "Easy Persuasion", "Baby Come And Get It", "Telegraph Your Love", and "Operator". LP, Vinyl record album

This Japanese group have certainly grown up a lot – and this beautiful album is their most mature in years! The combo is fronted by singer Ann Sally – whose English language vocals add a tremendous amount of sophistication to the record – snaking forth in a cool jazzy style that goes way past the easy bossa remake mode of earlier albums. Sally's voice is incredible, and it's mixed with a well-constructed set of backings by the group, music that is especially heavy in its use of Fender Rhodes! The track list is great, too – with wonderful remakes of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins", Flora Purim's "Light As A Feather", Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance", and Coltrane's "Naima". Sweet, mellow, jazzy, and wonderfully rich – the group's best album in years! Italian version of the album features 2 tracks not on the Japanese one – "Butterfly (Incognito rmx)" and "Sky (Soul Bossa Trio blue rmx)". CD

Soaring, soulful work from South Shore Commission – one of those great upbeat soul groups who really helped shape the scene in the pre-disco years – effortlessly blending strong vocals and uptempo grooves, and setting the stage for countless others to follow! Like some of their best contemporaries, South Shore were a soul group first, and a club act second – and they've got this easy ear for rising harmonies that are fantastic, and at the level of the best work coming out of the Sigma Sound Studios of the period – mixed with maybe some of the slightly grittier sound of the New Jersey scene. The whole album's great – and titles include their classics "Free Man" and "We're On The Right Track" – plus "Train Called Freedom", "Any Day Now", "Before You're Gone", "Handle With Care", "I'd Rather Switch than Fight", and "Just A Matter Of Time". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including some of the rare single mixes of album tracks. CD

A trio of wonderful albums from The Whispers – with a bit of bonus tracks too! First up is One For The Money – one of our favorite Whispers albums of the 70s – thanks to wonderful work from Philly soul maestro Norman Harris! Harris produced the record, and also played guitar on the set – giving the group this Sigma Sound-styled backdrop that almost puts the west coast harmony quintet in the territory of Gamble & Huff's work for Philly International! There's plenty of grooves on the set, but also plenty of deeper soul elements too – balanced beautifully with a richness that makes this Whispers album every bit as rewarding as work by some of their east coast contemporaries. Tracks include the sublime mellow cut "Living Together (In Sin)" – plus "One For The Money", "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are", "Sounds Like A Love Song", and "In My Heart". On Open Up Your Love, The Whispers are really riding high on the Soul Train – perfectly set up with production help from the team of Don Cornelius and Dick Griffey – who really help the group make the best of their harmonies, both on mellow cuts and upbeat groovers! The latter cuts are what The Whispers are sometimes remembered most for at this time in their career – but we really love the more laidback cuts too – as they seem to have an even more magical approach, with this floating style that really does wonders for the vocals. Titles include "Open Up Your Love", "You Are Number One", "I'm Gonna Make You My Wife", "Love Is A Dream", "I Fell In Love Last Night", and "Chocolate Girl". Headlights is sublime stuff from The Whispers – a record that features some wonderfully easy-drifting harmony vocals, put together in a careful way that preserves the smooth mellow tip that always made the group sound best! There's a maturity to the record that takes the quintet far past their early harmony soul roots, and even past some of the more clubby styles they were using during the 70s – almost the mix of sophistication that some of the hipper groups at Philly International would reach during the same stretch. The set's definitely got a few groovers, but the mellower steppers are the most wonderful – including the fantastic cut "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out", a sweet little groover with a hook that's undeniably catchy. Other tracks include "The Planets Of Life", "Disco Melody", "Children Of Tomorrow", "All The Way", and "You're A Special Part Of My Life". CD features bonus tracks – "Sounds Like A Love Song (7" version)" and "You're Only As Good As You Think You Are (7" version)". CD

The groovier side of the mod scene in 60s London – music that's not just rock, but which mixes together jazzy instrumentals, soulful stompers, and other wild sounds – all created by British groups who were bursting with new ideas at the time! The music is as bursting with color as the image on the front cover – and the collection is way different than other mod mixes on the market – with no American soul, less British blues, and plenty of unfamiliar cuts that makes the whole thing a treasure trove in groovy music from the English scene at the time! The package comes with a hefty booklet of notes, tracking the groups and the tunes – a stack of 93 great cuts, with work from Basil Kirchin, Mood Mosaic, The Troggs, Creation, London Studio Group, Kiki Dee, The End, Mike Cotton Sound, The Knack, Des James, Twinkle, Artwoods, Easybeats, Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, Georgie Fame, Moon's Train, Richard Kent Style, Wynder K Frog, The Syn, Dana Gillespie, Miki Dallon, The Mickey Finn, Stan Butcher, Miss X, Mandy Rice-Davies, The Hi-Fis, Electric Banana, and dozens of others! CD

Sweet and laidback fusion from guitarist Walt Barr – a record that's got some pretty nice drum work from the virtually unknown Jack Turchin! Turchin propels the group with a really solid sound on the kit – hitting some snapping beats that make for a nice undercurrent of funk, and which keeps things from taking off too far into space. The album also features keyboards by Ron Braverman – and tracks include "Mystery To Me", "Free Flight", "Turbulent Sky", "First Visit", "Easy", and "Girl I Once Knew". LP, Vinyl record album

Sleazy, greasy early 80s trash rock from the one-and-only Cramps – live at New York's Peppermint Lounge! Includes Cramps classics "You Got Good Taste", "I Ain't Nothin But A Gorehound", "Beautiful Gardens" and more, plus that vicious Cramps take on "She Said" by hillbilly trash rock progenitor Hasil Adkins, "Faster Pussycat" and more. Lux sounds lucid as he ever does one second and like he's about the choke death seconds later, which is The Cramps personified, right? LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of genius from the young Clare Fischer – one of his first sets for a larger ensemble, and the start of years of great work to come! Previous Pacific Jazz sessions featured Fischer in a piano trio – but this album lets Clare loose on a host of his own inventive arrangements – a set of charts and compositions that easily move between the modern and the groovy – sometimes using offbeat tones and sounds that rival the best that Ellington or Gil Evans had to offer – other times coming across with this fluidity that's a perfect summation of the way that Fischer pulled together all of the California cool of the 50s, and managed to come up with something completely fresh for the 60s! The modern edges will come as a real surprise to those who only know Fischer's more easygoing work – and in addition to Clare's own work on piano and organ, the record also features Jerry Coker on tenor, Gary Foster on tenor and clarinet, Jack Nimitz on bass clarinet and baritone, Sam Most and John Lowe on flutes, and Don Shelton on alto – all working with reed interplay that's completely sublime. Titles include "Bittersweet", "Igor", "Canto Africano", "Extension", "Passacaglia", and "Ornithardy". CD

A great record from the offbeat legend Michael Hurley – a set that features both spare tunes and others done with a larger band that's full of unusual instrumentation! The spare, ragged little solo tunes are served up on guitar and vocals – numbers that greatly showcase both Hurley's easygoing, slowly-rolling style, as well has his piercing, high emphatic howls. The group tracks feature bits of fiddle and mandolin – plus piano, harmonica, bass, and cornet – used sparingly, but in ways that punctuate the vocals nicely. Titles include the classic "Werewolf" – plus "Grand Canyon Line", "English Nobleman", "Be Kind To Me", "Troubled Waters", "Sweedeedee", "Open Up", "Jocko's Lament", "Light Green Fellow", "Get The Best Of Me", "Biscuit Roller", "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano", and "Penguins". CD

Includes 18 tracks by Chocolate Watchband, The Easybeats, The Troggs, The Seeds, The Syndicate Of Sound, The Count Five, The Standells, The Nazz, and more. CD

The clubby jazz funk debut of Freeez – plus the Anti-Freeez remix album from a couple years later – issued together along with even more bonus material in this great 2CD set! Dancefloor ready live band grooving is the warmly beating heart of the Freeez sound at this early point – with heated drums and killer basslines driving it – clearly influenced by late 70s international club sounds, but with this great, tight energy and dexterous musicianship that could only come from a real, functioning, true band. Nice stuff! Disc One includes the original album & remixes: "Mariposa (Butterfly)", "Caribbean Winter", "Easy On The Onions", "Sunset", "Flying High", "Roller Chase", "First Love" and more from the original, plus bonus tracks including "Ainti-Freeez (Set Me Free) – Disco Version", "Fly By Night", "Flying High (12" Remix)" and more. Disc Two includes early singles, demos, instrumentals and the complete Anti-Freeez remix album from 1984 – with "Keep In Touch", "Hot Footing It", "Stay", "Roller Chase (1984 Remix)", "Alone (1984 Remix)", "One To One (1984 Remix)", "Caribbean Winter (1984 Remix)", "Say You Will Be My Lover (Previously Unreleased Demo)" and more. 30 tracks on 2CDs. CD

Sweet modern soul from Larry Graham – a set that's miles from his earlier work, but in a great way that really shows him stretching out in new directions! In keeping with the times, the grooves here are often heavy on the beats, bass, and keys – fused together especially nicely on some cuts that have additional production or arrangement help from George Duke – but still sounding great when Larry's at the helm on his own, and singing with a slightly sharp edge in his vocals. Titles include "Sooner Or Later", "Don't Stop When You're Hot", "Walk Baby Walk", "Hold Up Your Hand", "Easy Love", "Still Thinkin Of You", and "I Feel Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Early crossover work as a solo act from James Ingram – and a set that features some stellar production from Quincy Jones! The album's one of the best of Q's pop-styled efforts of the time – and although it played big at the time, it's got a sound that's much better than we remember, especially on the more upbeat numbers – rock-solid vocals from Ingram, sung with a youthful quality that's nicely shies away from some of his more clunky commercial modes. Titles include the big hit "Yah Mo B There", plus "She Loves Me", "Try Your Love Again", "Party Animal", "Whatever We Imagine", "One More Rhythm", and "There's No Easy Way". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Jimmy's funkiest albums ever – a sweeeeet batch of short, hard, and funky cuts – and a record that ranks right up there with the mighty Soul Sugar for sheer funkiness! Jimmy takes an upbeat and easygoing approach to the late 60s funk sound, with a nice, rubbery bass and the organ sound just killer – but would expect less from McGriff on that front? Truly funky and totally irresistible stuff, with sinister, measured moments that bigger and heavier pretty quickly - kind of prefiguring 70s blacksploitation soundtrack vibes in spots! The album's great all the way through – tight arrangements by Horace Ott, who also plays electric piano on the set, making for a clean, cool 2-keys kind of groove. Titles include "Spear for Moondog" (parts 1 & 2), "Tight Times", "Funky Junk", "Bird Wave", and "Back on the Track". CD

Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth than some of the easy come/easy go disco divas of her day! Thanks here is clearly due to the team of Reggie Lucas and Mtume – who strike strongly with the album as one of their key early productions – the sort of work that really helped push mainstream soul a bit further at the end of the 70s, and set some new tones for a lot of growth in the next decade. The keyboards on the record are almost as nice as the vocals – played by Hubert Eaves and Harry Whitaker with a nice degree of sensitivity – hardly the stronger keyboard voice of the early 80s soul scene, and often with a dose of jazziness that's really appreciated. Titles include "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'", "Deeper Inside Your Love", "Feel The Fire", "Put Your Body In It", "Starlight", and "Don't Stop Dancin". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album of jazzy modern soul tracks – and quite possibly the best album by this legendary combo! There's a joyous, upbeat feel here that's totally great – miles from mainstream soul of the time, in a way that's always made the record a favorite for fans of the Free Soul scene – who've kept it strong for years. Lead vocals are by Sandy Torano and Howard Johnson – but the backing vocals are great too, and feature Phyllis Hyman – used in subtle ways to flesh out the sound nicely – and the instrumentation is often funky, but has a warmer, jazzier undercurrent too. Titles include "If You Want it", "All About Love", "Get On the Fun", "Tryin To Find", "No Two Alike", "Make It Right", and "Easy Come". CD

Tremendous work from the 70s jazz underground – music that comes from a special place where freedom and rhythm walk hand in hand! Most of the artists here are ones with a legacy that includes some more outside performances – but the cuts here are all upbeat and grooving – often in a modal jazz style that's completely sublime, and which provides boundless energy for the soloists to really take off! Most numbers are from a spiritual, post-Coltrane generation – and most of the work here is not that easy to find otherwise. Tracks include "Abuella" by Billy Bang, "V Movimento" and "III Movimenhto" by Giorgio Gaslini, "Latin Black Funk" by Sparrow, "Theme/Souls" by George Russell with Jan Garbarek, "Benediction" and "Pursuit" by Tina Marsh Creative Opportunity Orchestra, and "Now Is The Time" by Dick Griffin. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful grooves from the legendary Bob Crewe – a jaunty batch of studio instrumentals, often done with some hip touches in the production and arrangements! The groovy title theme really sets the tone for the record, and all tunes are upbeat and done in a mix of easy and rockish instrumentation – often produced with weird spacious touches that electrify otherwise quieter moments – all in the same blend of slinky, easy, and trippy that Crewe used for Barbarella! Titles include "Music To Watch Girls By", "Concrete & Clay", "Let's Hang On", "Theme for a Lazy Girl", "Girls on the Rocks", and "A Man and A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Eternity's Children – a really unique soft psych group, one with roots in the south, but a sound that was later polished by LA sunshine! The tracks on the set have a wonderfully dreamy quality to them – a style that takes bits of fuzzy guitar, Hammond organ, and some slight folk and harmony touches – and fuses them together with a tight sense of conception that holds the sound together even through a few personnel shifts over the years. Some of the cuts here were issued as singles – and appeared on the group's Rev-Ola singles set – but a few others appear to be previously unissued as well, and all titles are pretty darn groovy! CD features 17 tracks in all – including "Woman's Blues", "Time & Place", "Cigarette", "Taste Of Honey", "Rumours", "Girl's Song", "Living Is Easy", "Somebody's Watching You", "Didn't We", "Just One Smile", "Laughing Girl", "Hard Hard Year", and "Down The Aisle". CD

Just when you thought Prince Paul and Cat Power would never make a record together PRESTO – it's the new Handsome Boy album! HBMS takes a bit more of a chillout tack with this long overdue second opus – with lots of laidback beats and samples, and a surprising amount of live instrumentation! The gleeful, sarcastic comedy of the stellar first album remains intact, with some genuinely amusing skits (including one with Jay Z appearing under the pseudonym Hines Buchanan), and the deep range of guest vocalists isn't as surprising as how strong their work is in the best tunes. It would have been pretty easy for Prince Paul and Automator to find a bunch of interesting names to flesh out their big pop culture frappe, but something else altogether to make trippy hip hop tracks featuring Cat Power and the Hieroglyphics make sense on the same record. A pretty solid set from the most adventurous pseudo duo in the game! Guests include Del The Funky Homosapien, De La Soul, RZA, Lord Finesse, AG, Rahzel, Jazzy Jay, Qbert, Mike Patton, Casual, Hieroglyphics, Grand Wizard Theodore, El-P, John Oates, Pharrell, Kid Koala, and George W. Bush (just kidding). Tracks include "If It Wasn't For You" with De La, "Are You Down With It" with Mike Patton, "The World's Gone Mad" with Del and others, "It's Like That" with Casual, "I've Been Thinking" with Cat Power, "Rock And Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Pt 2" featuring Lord Finesse, Qbert and others,"First. . .And Then" featuring Dres from Black Sheep, "A Day In The Life" featuring RZA, AZ and others and more, plus intro/outro by Father Guido Sarducci. LP, Vinyl record album

A great record from the offbeat legend Michael Hurley – a set that features both spare tunes and others done with a larger band that's full of unusual instrumentation! The spare, ragged little solo tunes are served up on guitar and vocals – numbers that greatly showcase both Hurley's easygoing, slowly-rolling style, as well has his piercing, high emphatic howls. The group tracks feature bits of fiddle and mandolin – plus piano, harmonica, bass, and cornet – used sparingly, but in ways that punctuate the vocals nicely. Titles include the classic "Werewolf" – plus "Grand Canyon Line", "English Nobleman", "Be Kind To Me", "Troubled Waters", "Sweedeedee", "Open Up", "Jocko's Lament", "Light Green Fellow", "Get The Best Of Me", "Biscuit Roller", "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano", and "Penguins". LP, Vinyl record album

Where their simultaneously issued Stix has a feel that owes more to studio fiddling and technological trickery, this album mines a more live vein, with less programmed beats, and more emphasis on their playing as a band. Overall though, the vibe is the same, defying easy description in that post ambient, contemporary post rock-Nu Jazz netherland, kind of a thinking man's soundtrack to the chill out room. 10 tracks in all, including "Cinematic", "Animal Chin", "Going Down", "Airborne" and "Low Battery". CD

Mindblowing funk from one of the greatest combos on the New York scene of the early 70s – Pazant Brothers Eddie & Al, heard here on a host of their greatest recordings! The package goes way past any other Pazant reissues we've seen – and features not only work from the group's famous Vanguard album, but way way more work from a host of early singles for the RCA, GWP, and Vigor labels! The 22 track package is overstuffed with horn-heavy funky grooves that mark the Pazants as one of the hottest things going at the time – snapping on the beat with a tightness learned from their old boss Pucho, but also a willingness to explore brassier grooves in a style that seems to be influenced from the New Orleans and Texas scenes of the late 60s. Producer/arranger Edward Bland had a good hand in much of this work – giving the tracks a gritty, nitty, Perception/Today kind of groove – and a few of the very best numbers on the record even bring in some wicked scratchy guitar into the mix! Includes early and later (Vanguard) versions of "Skunk Juice", "New Orleans", "Toe Jam", "Work Song", and "A Gritty Nitty" – plus "Chick A Boom", "Greasy Greens", "Fever", "Juicy Lucy", "Chicken Scratch", "Fly Vines", and "Back To Beaufort". CD

One of the first great soundtracks we ever heard from Piero Piccioni – and still one of the best! Colpo Rovente has this really special sort of sound – jazzy, but not really jazz – bassy, but not really funky – and often done with spare, stark sounds – but never in a way that's too atonal or horror-based either! Piccioni brought a really special sort of genius to the record – a way of using each instrument with a very unusual sound or tuning – and isolating each element in just the right way, but with a different style than that used by Morricone at the time. Some tracks get nice and groovy, but lots more hang back in a style that's almost pensive – and titles include "Kintabu", "Colpo Rovente", "Easy Dreamer", "Chinatown Drugs", and "LSD". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first great soundtracks we ever heard from Piero Piccioni – and still one of the best! Colpo Rovente has this really special sort of sound – jazzy, but not really jazz – bassy, but not really funky – and often done with spare, stark sounds – but never in a way that's too atonal or horror-based either! Piccioni brought a really special sort of genius to the record – a way of using each instrument with a very unusual sound or tuning – and isolating each element in just the right way, but with a different style than that used by Morricone at the time. Some tracks get nice and groovy, but lots more hang back in a style that's almost pensive – and titles include "Kintabu", "Colpo Rovente", "Easy Dreamer", "Chinatown Drugs", and "LSD". CD features 12 bonus tracks – all unreleased alternates! CD

Groovy 50s work from Nelson Riddle – instrumental tracks recorded during the same stretch when he was winning great fame as Frank Sinatra's arranger! The style here is much more varied than Riddle's work for Sinatra – a range of instrumental modes that varies from gentle mood music, to more upbeat and playful tunes, to some especially great numbers that have a slightly exotic feel. Instrumentation is also more varied than Riddle's vocal backings – not as out there as some of his Capitol contemporaries in the easy department, but still pretty inventive overall. CD features 26 tracks in all – including – "Loveletters", "Vilia", "Vera Cruz", "Deep Blue Sea", "Drive In", "Brother John", "Shadow Waltz", "Pore Jud Is Daid", "Robin Hood", "Port Au Prince", "Midnight Blues", "The Love Of Genevieve", "Farmer's Tango", and "Holiday In Naples". CD

A massive hit for the duo of Calvin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples – and for good reason too! The set's equally well-balanced between upbeat, keyboard-heavy groovers and key mellower tracks – just the kind of rounded record we might expect from Ashford & Simpson at their late 70s best, a pair who are a clear inspiration for the sound of this album! Lonnie Simmons handles production, and brings in some hip undercurrents – instrumental moments that get past the obvious, and which really make the record hold up nicely over the years – with a groove that's almost more 70s, and with a looser indie feel overall. Titles include "Don't Stop The Music", "Third Degree", "Crazy", "You're My Song", "Want You Back Again", "Two of Us", "I Believe I'm Falling In Love", and "Easy Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

A tight collection of uptempo funk and disco-driven soul tunes – with a selection that goes way past the usual dancefloor favorites! We're not sure how to read the title (which seems to have some sort of "inside take" on black culture in America) so we'll write that off to the overzealous imagination of the British compilers of the set – but we will say that the package includes some great numbers that we wouldn't have thought of otherwise, including a few previously unissued tunes by artists on the Westbound label! The groove is upbeat on most tracks, with plenty of jazzy flourishes and a soulful approach to disco. Titles include "Disco Booty" by Melvin Sparks, "Love Don't Come Easy" by New Jersey Connection, "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight" by Sylvester, "Free Man" by South Shore Commission, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by The Clark Sisters, "Latin Disco" by The Counts, "Alvin Stone (The Birth & Death Of A Gangster)" by Fantastic Four, "Moon Trek" by Mike Theodore, "Sadie" by Joe Bataan, "Sure Can't Go To The Moon" by CJ & Co, and "The Magic Man" by King Errison. CD