... CD

A record that we love almost as much for the words by Pete Sinfield, vocals by Gordon Haskell, and reeds by Mel Collins – as we do for the work of leader Robert Fripp on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A record that we love almost as much for the words by Pete Sinfield, vocals by Gordon Haskell, and reeds by Mel Collins – as we do for the work of leader Robert Fripp on guitar! CD

A record that we love almost as much for the words by Pete Sinfield, vocals by Gordon Haskell, and reeds by Mel Collins – as we do for the work of leader Robert Fripp on guitar! CD

A record that we love almost as much for the words by Pete Sinfield, vocals by Gordon Haskell, and reeds by Mel Collins – as we do for the work of leader Robert Fripp on guitar! CD

A great bit of noir from the legendary David Goodis – a lesser-known gem that was penned in the 50s, and delivers the kind of tight, stark story that makes Goodis so great! The tale follows a down-and-out character who's not really a thug at heart – trying to get back in the green with one big scheme, yet ending up as most of Goodis' characters – as a victim of his own weakness. The book offers a great portrayal of the underbelly of the postwar years, see through the eye of a newcomer – and the slim volume delivers plenty in a very short space, like most of these Black Lizard classics. Softcover, 129 pages. Book

... LP, Vinyl record album

A rare rocker from Jamul – a group who are somewhere right on the cusp between blues rock and hard rock territory – working with equal amounts of both in this obscure debut! The record's a great illustration of the way that so many groups who grew up playing blues rock in bars during the 60s were discovering styles that were forming into hard rock at the start of the 70s – guitar lines informed by older modes, but played with a heck of a lot more power – and vocals that push things a bit more than any blues singer might – to the point where they often hit a rasping sort of frenzy! There's still a bit of the old modes here – occasional harmonica lines and slower numbers – but it's the heavier tunes that really shape the record. Titles include "Ramblin Man", "Valley Thunder", "All You Have Left Is Me", "I Can't Complain", "Nickel Thimble", and "Sunrise Over Jamul". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning double-length collection of work from dub producer Errol Brown – a massive 42 tracks in all, each of which definitely live up to the "tip top" promised in the title! The work here is from the years 1977 and 1978 – all originally issued on the High Note or Sky Note labels, at a time when Brown's talents in the studio were able to completely transform elements from contemporary tunes, and take them into all sorts of wonderful new directions with instrumentation help from The Revolutionaries! There's plenty of echo throughout, but most tunes also have a very straightforward vibe too – lean and forward-moving, without getting too bogged down in the production – just using the right elements to make everything sound super-cool throughout. The set features 25 tracks that have never been on CD amidst the total of 42 – and tracks include "Phase One Special", "Roots Man Dub", "Dancing Dub", "Wooga Man", "King Ruler", "Ital Dub", "Dub Walla", "Chapter 15", "Know Your Friend Version", "Strictly Roots"- "Lizard Version", and "Dub In Dreamland". CD

An incredible record – with a great performance, and the ultra-creepy long version of "Celebration Of The Lizard"! LP, Vinyl record album

A group with an enigmatic name, and one with a sound to match – as the quintet play together in ways that link late 50s modern jazz with later, more experimental moments – but all with a sense of cohesion that really makes for a hell of a record all the way through! Some tracks are long, some much shorter – and there's a mix of subtle feeling here that almost takes us back to the territory of Mal Waldron and Eric Dolphy – especially given the album's great use of bass clarinet at times, handled by Joel Stedman, who also plays flute. The rest of the combo features more flute and tenor from Matt Cliffe, piano from Hugh Vincent, bass from Elliot Roffe, and drums from Simon Henry – a wonderfully expressive group who have a superbly fresh sense of tone and timing. Titles include "Faith", "Lizard", "Sight", "Maya's Mood", "Miss B", "Summit", and "Diogenes Pot". LP, Vinyl record album

All the great early albums from Creation Rebel – plus their excellent comeback too! The set begins with Dub From Creation – not just the debut album from Creation Rebel, but also a set that marks the first studio work from the young Adrian Sherwood – part of the long On-U Sound legacy to come, and a wealth of other wonderful music! There's a spareness here that's great – maybe a bit less dark than later Sherwood projects, but no less stark – with melodica and keyboards weaving nicely amidst the dubby rhythms! Titles include "Basic Principals", "Dub Fusion", "Liberation", "Rising Star", "Vision Of Creation", and "Creation In A Iration". Next is Close Encounters Of The Third World – an early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". Rebel Vibrations features early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". Starship Africa is a brilliant Creation Rebel effort for On-U Sound from the dawn of the 80s – landing in the futuristic dub spacecraft that is their Starship Africa – percussion heavy and spaced out ingenuity from Adrian Sherwood & co! Tripped, echoey atmospherics that's cast as a soundtrack to movie that doesn't exist, the music is forward thinking, boundary busting dubby grooves exists out of time and sounds great to this day. Includes "Starship Africa" (Sections 1-5) and "Space Movement" (Sections 1-4). On Psychotic Jonkanoo, Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". From 2023, Hostile Environment is the first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". CD

Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

Early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". LP, Vinyl record album

A true Celebration Of The Lizard – with the cuts "The Unkown Soldier", "Spanish Caravan", "Summer's Almost Gone", "Not To Touch The Earth", and "Hello I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Early solo work – with titles that include "The Man Who Invented Himself", "Brenda's Iron Sledge", "Do Policemen Sing", "The Lizard", "Acid Bird", "Meat", "Out Of The Picture", "Love", "City Of Shame", and "I Watch The Cars". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of legendary albums by Lee Perry – Super Ape, Return Of The Super Ape, and Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Cornbread – back-to-back-to-back in a great 2CD package complete with a handful of bonus tracks! Super Ape is the King Kong of dub albums – classic Lee Perry and an essential dub album, rendering Scratch's dense, multi-layered Black Ark rhythms in all their raw glory – with toasts and vocal snippets darting in and out of the dubs courtesy Prince Jazzbo, the Heptones, Dillinger and Scratch himself. Tracks include "Zion's Blood", "Croaking Lizard", "Dread Lion", "Patience", "Dub Along", "Black Vest", "Underground Root", "Curly Dub" "Three In One" and "Super Ape". Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Cornbread is Scratch's funky reggae party, put together at the Black Ark, with Boris Gardner, Mickey Boo, Sly Dunbar & Winston Wright. A nice batch of skanking Jamaica funk, with the requisite Black Ark smoke blowing throughout. Includes a bunch of classic Perry-isms, like "Yu Squeeze My Panhandle", "Roast Fish & Cornbread", "Soul Fire" & "Free Up The Weed". Return Of The Super Ape is mostly instrumental, but not quite dub, though some cuts do have Perry's vocals on top. Slow rolling and a bit murky, this set bears no relation to the Super Ape set, other than the freaky cover, but is still infused with Perry's unique vision. Includes the title track, "Bird In Hand", "Psyche & Trim", "Huzza A Haha" and "High Rankin Sammy". Includes 7 bonus tracks! CD

An early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". LP, Vinyl record album

Brian Eno leaves the Airports, and moves On Land – but still keeps things pretty much in the spare sound of the Ambient series! The lineup here features a few more extra musicians – including Michael Beinhorn on synth, Jon Hassell on trumpet, Axel Gros and Michael Brook on guitars, and Bill Laswell on bass – but all players are used sparingly, and the overall sound hardly acknowledges their presence. Daniel Lanois helped in the recording of some of the material – an early moment in his famous partnership with Eno – and the tracks were recorded over the space of 4 years – with occasional glimmers of the British countryside through the hazy atmospherics of Eno's landscape. Titles include "Lizard Point", "Tal Coat", "Shadow", "A Clearing", "Unfamiliar Wind", "Lantern Marsh", and "The Lost Day". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – with a great performance, and the ultra-creepy long version of "Celebration Of The Lizard"! CD

Searing live work from the Last Exit quartet – easily one of the most dynamic forces in experimental jazz in the 80s! The group features a famous combination of Sonny Sharrock's guitar and Peter Brotzmann's reeds – a pairing that shouldn't work this well, but does wonderfully – thanks to a great love of loudly expressive sounds by both players! The combo's completed by Bill Laswell on bass and Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums – both of whom bring a pulsating downtown sound to the record, even in this European live setting. Titles include "Lizard Eyes", "Don't Be A Cry Baby Whatever You Do", "Hanged Man Are Always Naked", "A Knight Of Ghosts & Shadows", and "I Must Confess I'm A Criminal". CD

The King Kong of dub albums, a real standard-setting record that put both the movement and Lee Perry forever on the musical map! The whole thing is classic Lee Perry and an essential dub album – one that mixes Scratch's dense, multi-layered Black Ark rhythms in all their raw glory, with toasts and vocal snippets darting in and out of the dubs – courtesy of a lineup that includes Prince Jazzbo, the Heptones, Dillinger and Scratch himself! With 10 essential tracks from the original release: "Zion's Blood", "Croaking Lizard", "Dread Lion", "Patience", "Dub Along", "Black Vest", "Underground", "Curly Dub" "Three In One" and "Super Ape". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that originally started out as the Duck Stab EP, but was expanded with the addition of Buster & Glen songs – hence the unusual title! The material here is spooky early Residents at their best – almost without comparison to any of their contemporaries, which is saying a lot in this period before so many others were even beginning to approach their weirdness! Instrumentation is often spare, stark, and electronic – almost a precursor to the use of analogue elements that would soon make the German new wave so great, but handled here in murkier modes often combined with distorted vocals and other processing – mostly quite tuneful, but from behind a dark curtain – similar to the way the group always hid their own identity. Titles include "Krafty Cheese", "The Booker Tease", "Constantinople", "Sinister Exaggerator", "Elvis & His Boss", "The Electrocutioner", "Hello Skinny", and "Lizard Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge legacy of work from the Flying Lizards – two full albums, plus lots more bonus tracks too! First up is the well-circulated debut, a new wave crossover classic from The Flying Lizards – one of the quirkiest groups of their era! The group were European, but have a sound that resonates strongly with the most playful post-disco work of the New York scene of the time, particularly the acts on Ze Records – a groove that mixes equal part punky and clubby rhythms, often topped with lyrics that are cold, but clever, done in the same ironic arty style of Cristina, or Devo. This album's the group's standout opus – and features their classic covers of "Summertime Blues" and "Money" – as well as originals "The Flood", "TV", "The Window", and "Russia". Next up is The Fourth Wall, the rare second album from The Flying Lizards – a set that didn't get nearly as much exposure as their debut, and which still shows the group mixing together punk, new wave, and clubby styles in a really great way! There's maybe even more of an edge here than on the group's debut – and titles include "Lovers & Other Strangers", "An Age", "Steam Away", "Hands 2 Take", "In My Lifetime", "Cirrus", and "Lost & Found". 2CD set features 9 more bonus tracks – including "Tube", "Money B", "All Guitars", "Summertime Blues (12" mix)", "Portugal", "Wind", and "Continuity". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "Big Heart", "Hair Street", "Fat House", "The Punch & Judy Tango", "Map Of Bubbles", and "They Were Insane". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool little set, and one that's a lot different than you might expect from the "new romantics" reference in the title! Sure, there's some cuts here that are from the moment when the British scene was cracking the charts with nice haircuts, catchy electro rhythms, and smart lyrics – but the bulk of the set is actually music from the generation before – the kind of work that inspired the new romantics of the early 80s, mixed with cuts from that era, but which are not nearly as well known! The box begins very early in the 70s, and traces bits of prog, glam, and other pre-punk styles – then ends up in more familiar territory at the end, but with a less familiar vibe. Make sense? Probably not – but that's the great thing about a really well-done collection like this – 59 tracks with really great notes – and work from Tubeway Army, The Cure, Zager & Evans, Lounge Lizards, Grace Jones, Fox, Magazine, Spandau Ballet, Heaven 17, Japan, Yellow, Nightmares In Wax, Visage, Landscape, Flying Lizards, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Sister Sledge, Lipps Inc, Barry Gray, Glaxo Babies, New Order, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Tom Tom Club, ABC, M, Heat Exchange, John Foxx, The Normal, and many others! CD

A totally fantastic record, and one we'd put right up there next to some of the best soulful hardbop albums on bigger labels of the 60s – even though the set hardly ever saw much circulation back in the day! As you can guess from the cover, the quintet hails from San Francisco – and they work here with a boldly creative vibe that really reflects the energy they were bringing to their club dates in the Bay Area – leadership by pianist Al Tanner, with smoking tenor from Roy Henderson, and a mix of flute and trumpet from George Alexander – both done in these really great ways. Edwar Williams handles bass, and perhaps the biggest name here is drummer Smiley Winters, who would later go on to more avant fame – yet it's the group together as a whole who work so well, often with the cohesive energy and individual voices of the Horace Silver quintet at its best. Titles include the massive modal number "Kuba" – plus "Rolon's Groove", "Bronson's Blues", "The Magi", "Poor Me", and "Zaltanica" – most nice and long. CD features bonus tracks "Lobby Lizards" and "Kuba (alt)". CD

16 tracks that supposedly define what the hipsters have been listening to in NYC for the past 40 years. Titles include "What If?" by Bongwater, "Slum Goddess" by The Fugs, "Dreams" by Suicide, "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, "Run Run Run" by The Velvet Underground, "Don't Let Me Stop You" by Glen Branca, "In The Temple Of Hadjarim" by John Zorn, "File Under Futurism" by DJ Spooky, "Prefeelings" by Arto Lindsay, "Venus De Milo" by Television, and "Bob The Bob" by The Lounge Lizards. CD