One of the great early moments from Kinky Friedman – and a record that ranks right up there with some of the more groundbreaking early 70s work from artists like Steve Young, Guy Clark, or even Willie Nelson! Nelson actually produced a few tracks – and the record features some work by him, Waylon Jennings, and Tompall Glaser – on titles that include a great version of "They Ain't Makin Jews Like Jesus Anymore", plus "Something's Wrong With The Beaver", "Rapid City South Dakota", "Popeye The Sailor Man", "Homo Erectus", and "Before All Hell Breaks Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

Marvin's definitely in the groove on this set – cooking on all burners with a host of late 60s Motown hits – bad-stepping his way towards some of the more mature moments to come in the 70s! The album's probably best remembered for the cut "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" – easily one of Marvin's biggest moments of the 60s, and a track whose popularity led to the album's title change from In The Groove to later incarnations as Heard It Through The Grapevine! Other cuts are equally great, and show Gaye really stretching out with mature, masculine confidence – pushing the envelope nicely on cuts that include "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", "There Goes My Baby", "Change What You Can", "You're What's Happening", "Tear It Down", "You", and "Some Kind Of Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

The last moment of greatness from Heaven 17 – and a set that continues the trend towards more soulful expression the group began with their previous record! This time around, the production is warmly touched with many soul-based elements that nicely offset the colder electro pop of their roots – aspects of which include the Phenix Horns, borrowed from Earth Wind & Fire, as well as the Afrodiziak backing vocal group, which features a young Caron Wheeler in her days before Soul II Soul! It may be a stretch, but the record does have a key place in the evolution of UK soul in the 1980s – certainly its most poppy aspect to be sure, but one that has an undeniable charm, and which really managed to bridge a number of different cultures with its approach. Titles include "Sunset Now", "The Fuse", "The Skin I'm In", "Flamedown", "Reputation", "And That's No Lie", "Shame Is On The Rocks", and "Five Minutes To Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent little album from the team of Herbie Mann & Buddy Collette – one that has both players using a wide range of reed instruments, and not just flute! Herbie and Buddy are wonderfully paired here – in a way that expands past the usual flute jazz mode by adding in bits of tenor sax, alto, and clarinet – as well as a range of different flutes too – not in a mode that's gimmicky, but which complements the lighter sound of the flute with some heavier notes on tenor at just the right moment – in a style that reminds us of some of Jerome Richardson's best records of the time. Rhythm is by the trio of Mel Lewis on drums, Buddy Clark on bass, and Jimmy Rowles on both piano and a bit of celeste – and tracks are long, with a freshly spontaneous feel that's really great! Titles include "Morning After", "Here's Pete", "Theme From Theme From", "Give A Little Whistle", "Herbie's Buddy", and "Pop Melody". This is a 2nd pressing of the Mode album Flute Fraternity – without Buddy Collette as the co-leader on the cover, and with his name listed in the notes as Bobby Collette! LP, Vinyl record album

Mazzy Star's second album and first for Capitol, one of those rare, wonderful moments in the early 90s when a band that had been bubbling just under the popular radar hooked up with a major label and managed to hit both a popular and creative peak! This one really hasn't aged a day since it came out. The songwriting pair of guitarist David Roback and Hope Sandoval – the former transcending pop psych influences as far back as the early 80s in The Rain Parade, the latter with one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices in rock at the time – put together their best, moodiest effort. Includes the breakout hit "Fade Into You", a cool cover of Arthur Lee & Love's then recent "Five String Serenade", "Blue Light", "She's My Baby", "Wasted", "Into Dust", "So Tonight That I Might See", "Mary Of Silence", "Unreflected" and "Bells Ring". CD

A real classic from Sergio Mendes – probably most famous for its funky bits! The record pushes past the formula of the earlier Brasil 66 albums, and goes for a more sophisticated approach that adds in some sweet electric moments, more complicated grooves, and an overall sound that's even hipper than the group's early pop for A&M. The album features an excellent version of "For What It's Worth" that has a tight drumbreak which has been sampled often, as well as a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Lost in the Paradise" which is a good translation of the song to an American idiom! Other tracks include "Viramundo", "Stillness", "Chelsea Morning", and "Sometimes In Winter". A real gem – and one of the group's most overlooked albums! LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue look at the short but rich career of Sandy Posey on MGM Records – presented here in a set of four full albums, plus bonus non-LP singles too! Posey has a very unique approach, music that's a little bit country and a little bit pop – and which carries a distinct sound that really sets Sandy apart from so many other of her 60s contemporaries! Posey's approach is always a bit hard to peg, and that's what makes it great – a southern singer, working in Tennessee – but with soulful production from Chips Moman that pushes things both past the poppier side of Nashville, and some of the lighter girl singer modes of the east coast too – really on the cusp of something wonderful, and cresting nicely in all sorts of really wonderful ways – as distinct for Sandy maybe as Roy Orbison's special blend was for him. Chips Moman produced almost all the work here, although he gets a bit of help from Joe South near the end – and the 2CD set features 55 tracks in all, including "Born A Woman", "What A Woman In Love Won't Do", "All Hung Up In Your Green Eyes", "Deep In Kentucky", "Handy", "The Big Hurt", "Sunglasses", "Miss Lonely", "Single Girl", "Shattered", "Ways Of The World", "Take Me With You Baby", "I Take It Back", and "Bread & Butter". CD

One of the greatest moments ever from Psychic TV – and a really stunning surprise after the breakup of Throbbing Gristle! Genesis P Orridge and Peter Cristopherson go in a completely different direction here – a mode that still holds onto some of the noise lessons learned in TG, but which also shows this incredible love of both more complicated pop modes from the 60s, and some of the farther reaches of minimalism as well! The album sports these tremendous ballads with eerie vocals by Genesis – including "The Orchids" and "White Nights" – which are both eerie recastings of an older mode of UK pop love songs – and there's other tracks that maybe echo a bit of Meredith Monk, or some of the underground experimentalists on the Lovely Records scene – including bits that have weird phone rings, dog barks, and other great touches. A spare and subtle use of noise and darker sounds wends its way throughout – but never with the heavier handed touches of later years – and titles include "Hymn 23", "The Orchids", "Botanica", "Iron", "Glove", "Always Is Always", "White Nights", "Finale", "Eleusis", "Medmenham", "Ancient Lights", "Proof On", "Eden 1 Eden 2 Eden 3", "Clouds Without Water", "Black Moon", "Silver And Gold", "In The Nursery", and "Circle". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice later noise pop moment in REM's canon, bringing some electric fuzz to the forefront after the soaring, anthemic alt folk of Automatic For The People! Monster might've been a bit divisive at the time, and maybe it still is after all these years, but it holds up better than a lot of their later work, with catchy vocals sailing over reverb-y guitars. REM changed courses a lot over the years, but this might be one of the their latest daring twists, especially coming out at right after the most popular peak. Includes "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?", "Crush With Eyeliner", "Star 69", "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Strange Currencies" and more. CD

Not the same Maria Rita that rose to international fame in the past decade or so – but an earlier, much more obscure singer with a nicely rootsy vibe – one whose presence in the Brazilian music scene is maybe more welcome to our ears than her famous later namesake! The album came out at the end of the 80s, but has a sound that feels more like the experimental generation of MPB in the 70s – some moments that have the brashness of Gal Costa around her India album, other moments of gentleness that recall the sensitive soul of Joyce, and maybe a few slight touches of the deeper drama of Maria Bethania – and yet, like all of those artists, this Maria Rita is very much her own person – as can easily be heard by the lack of pop production or commercial efforts on this very unique album. Titles include "Cantico Brasileiro No 1", "Cancao Da Gaora", "Lamento Africano/Rictus", "A Cidade", "Melodia De Veludo", and "Trilhas". CD

Not the same Maria Rita that rose to international fame in the past decade or so – but an earlier, much more obscure singer with a nicely rootsy vibe – one whose presence in the Brazilian music scene is maybe more welcome to our ears than her famous later namesake! The album came out at the end of the 80s, but has a sound that feels more like the experimental generation of MPB in the 70s – some moments that have the brashness of Gal Costa around her India album, other moments of gentleness that recall the sensitive soul of Joyce, and maybe a few slight touches of the deeper drama of Maria Bethania – and yet, like all of those artists, this Maria Rita is very much her own person – as can easily be heard by the lack of pop production or commercial efforts on this very unique album. Titles include "Cantico Brasileiro No 1", "Cancao Da Gaora", "Lamento Africano/Rictus", "A Cidade", "Melodia De Veludo", and "Trilhas". LP, Vinyl record album

These guys already had our attention the moment we looked at the back cover – and noted that they were playing songs by Phil Cohran, Sun Ra, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre – then they really won us over once we heard the very first few notes of the set! The group's only a quartet on most tracks, but they've got a sense of majesty to really live up to the music – definitely making magic with the roots they refer to in their name – in a lineup that features Alberto Popolla on clarinet and bass clarinet, Errico De Fabritiis on alto and baritone sax, Gianfranco Tedeschi on bass, and Fabrizio Spera on drums and percussion. There's some nice surprises along the way – harmonica, zither, and "objects" used in the performances – and there's a way of reworking avant traditions that remind us of some of the most innovative sides of the Italian scene at the end of the 80s – on titles that include "When There Is No Sun", "Karen On Monday", "Frankiphone Blues", "Devil Got My Woman", "Humility In The Light Of The Creator", and "A Girl Named Rainbow". CD

A huge breakout moment for disco in the 70s – the first album from Silver Convention, a very early example of the European power on the club scene! The group's the brainchild of arranger Sylvester Levay and producer Michael Kunze – who come up with some great German disco rhythms for the record, mixed with soaring female trio vocals, by a group that includes two German gals and American soul singer Roberta Kelly! The vocal approach is similar to that 70s Philly group mode – popularized by First Choice, Three Degrees, and others – and pumped it up with the Munich sound of throbbing bass and heavy beats, which was arguably one of the first steps towards house music in the 80s. Titles include the huge hit "Fly Robin Fly", plus "Save Me", "I Like It", "Chains Of Love", "Tiger Baby", "Always Another Girl", and "Heart Of Stone". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge breakout moment for disco in the 70s – the first album from Silver Convention, a very early example of the European power on the club scene! The group's the brainchild of arranger Sylvester Levay and producer Michael Kunze – who come up with some great German disco rhythms for the record, mixed with soaring female trio vocals, by a group that includes two German gals and American soul singer Roberta Kelly! The vocal approach is similar to that 70s Philly group mode – popularized by First Choice, Three Degrees, and others – and pumped it up with the Munich sound of throbbing bass and heavy beats, which was arguably one of the first steps towards house music in the 80s. Titles include the huge hit "Fly Robin Fly", plus "Save Me", "I Like It", "Chains Of Love", "Tiger Baby", "Always Another Girl", and "Heart Of Stone". CD features bonus tracks – "Fly Robin Fly (12" disco version)", "Save Me Again", "Always Another Girl (US promo 12", "I Like It (special disco edit)", and "Tiger Baby (12" disco version)". CD

One of the coolest albums from the legendary Peruvian scene at the start of the 70s – served up by a group who've got a Bay Area reference in their name, and who definitely work with a mix of Latin and psychedelic elements that echo that scene – but with a special sort of vibe that's all their own! Some moments on the record have that perfect pop production and presentation that we love from their contemporaries We All Together – yet other points echo more of the older sound of Mag Records, and the way the label could cook up some really heavy Latin groovers to rival the best of New York. Yet the trippier sounds of the psych generation are what really make the record great – clearly a Santana inspiration, but taken in new directions too – on titles that include "Sungaligali", "Sweet Whatever", "Happy", "Something Going", "Telegraph Avenue", and "Sometimes In Winter". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning moments of genius from 10CC – a record that has the duo of Godly & Creme really hitting their stride in the studio, and taking the group into completely different territory than on their first few records! The brilliance of the mega-hit "I'm Not In Love" is very well-known – and the rest of the record follows with a similar sort of sonic intensity, one that holds strong even as the song styles shift throughout – almost with the sort of mini-masterpiece in album format that Trevor Horn would so loudly proclaim at ZTT. The record's both a key part of 70s pop, and one that's also very much apart from the pack – with titles that include "I'm Not In Love", "The Second Sitting For The Last Supper", "The Film Of My Love", "Brand New Day", "Blackmail", "Flying Junk", and the three part "Une Nuite A Paris" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing music from Laurance Vanay – actually a recording name for Jacqueline Thibault, a hell of a great keyboardist but an artist the label thought would be better off billed as a man! The sound here is halfway between the spacey experiments of Brian Eno and Cluster, and some of the more ambitious sound library work of the time – particularly those rare moments when prog artist got to do some studio work! Thibault's keyboards are wonderful – lots of Fender Rhodes mixed with Hammond and early synth – usually spun out at an instrumental level that has the tunes building slowly in these really great layers of sound – almost like a Popol Vuh soundtrack, but a lot more tuneful too. There's a fragile complexity that really makes the music special – and unlike anything we've ever heard from the European scene of the time – and titles include "Alone In The Rain", "Evening Colours", "Forgotten Moments", "Twin Cities", "Eyes Closed On The Way", "Sunshine In My Heart", and "Underwater Light Reflection". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – includign "Mamie"," Mop", and "Fausse Fn" – plus alternate takes of songs on the album. CD

Looks like Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass lost a few buttons off their shirts on the front cover – but they keep things tight on this great album of duet material from the 70s – one of their excellent and overlooked sets from the time! Part of the real strength of the album comes from the production and arrangements by Jeff Wayne – wise enough to use some studio greats like Alan Hawkshaw on keyboards and Herbie Flowers on bass – who create these really cool grooves that snake soulfully through the set, and really make the best of the harmonized lyrics by Vigrass and Osborne! There's a few occasional moments that echo the compression used in UK pop work of the time, mixed with other warmer more intimate elements too – on titles that include "Engine Driver", "Daily Depress", "Gypsy Woman", "Summer Passed You By", "Sunshine Cake", "Sit Yourself Down", "Wild & Windy Sea", and "Hey Brother/Heyla". LP, Vinyl record album

Looks like Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass lost a few buttons off their shirts on the front cover – but they keep things tight on this great album of duet material from the 70s – one of their excellent and overlooked sets from the time! Part of the real strength of the album comes from the production and arrangements by Jeff Wayne – wise enough to use some studio greats like Alan Hawkshaw on keyboards and Herbie Flowers on bass – who create these really cool grooves that snake soulfully through the set, and really make the best of the harmonized lyrics by Vigrass and Osborne! There's a few occasional moments that echo the compression used in UK pop work of the time, mixed with other warmer more intimate elements too – on titles that include "Engine Driver", "Daily Depress", "Gypsy Woman", "Summer Passed You By", "Sunshine Cake", "Sit Yourself Down", "Wild & Windy Sea", and "Hey Brother/Heyla". CD

The start of rock and roll was a bit different in the UK than it was over here – still with the requisite inspiration from R&B and other American styles, but also inflected with some elements from the colonial scene, the world of music hall, jazz, and other instrumental styles – in ways that made for a slightly different genesis than you might expect! This well-done 3CD package traces the roots in a really great way – especially on the first CD, which features initial postwar moments of musical inspiration, from artists who include Ray Ellington, Ken Colyer, Alma Cogan, Art Baxter, Marty Wilde & The Wildcats, Tommy Steele, Terry Wayne, Lonnie Donegan, Lita Roza, and even a young Alexis Korner! CD2 has things coming together a bit more with a pop-styled polish – work from Cliff Richard, Vince Taylor, Johnny Kidd, Sally Kelly, and Billy Fury – plus later tracks from a few of the artists on CD1. And CD3 sends it home from the early 60s years right before the British Invasion – lots more from Billy Fury, and other cuts from Screaming Lord Sutch, The Shadows, Outlaws, Tornadoes, Blues Incorporated, and even The Beatles. 72 tracks in all – with notes in English and French! CD

Cool cuts from around the globe – all brought together in one wonderfully funky set! The music here all draws heavily from American funk and psych styles – and often uses some slightly different instrumentation, or more regional inflection – to make the usual psych funk styles sound even more groovy and exotic – in a mindblowing way that makes the entire set a real musical delight! Most tracks are instrumental – heavy on drums and fuzzy guitar – but there's a few vocal moments, too – and the funk current is super-strong, way more so than on other collections that promise a heavy bottom, but usually just present offbeat psych. Titles include "Jet Pop" by Bana Pop Band, "Foxy Lady" by 49th Blue Streak, "Karate Chop" by The Tijuana Brats, "Stari Dvorac" by Pro Arte, "Nie Przejziemy Do Historii" by Krzysztof Klenczon, "Louis Louis" by Friar Tuck, "Time Of Machines" by Sergio Ferraresi, and "The Shaman's Dance" by Alexandr Sergeyevich. LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing look at a really stunning musical moment in Indonesia – a postwar period when older sounds from the nation were updated with more western-styled instrumentation – yet often at a level that still retained all of the charm of their roots! If you dig Indonesian gamelan or vocal performances, you'll find plenty to love here – as rhythmic and melodic elements from those worlds are mixed with jazz instrumentation, electric guitar, and plenty of percussion that often seems to draw a bit from Latin inspirations as much as it does from larger local ensembles and their musical legacy. The style is maybe a bit like musical shifts that were taking place in other Southeast Asian nations at the time – but the results are far less slavish to western pop, and still really retain all the cultural care of earlier years – sometimes in ways that are a lot more lean and personal, with extremely beautiful sounds throughout. Maybe one of the best collections the Soundway label has ever given us – with the usual detailed notes, and tracks by artists who include Orkes Kelana Ria, Mus DS, Zaenal Combo, Yanti Bersuadara, Band Nada Kentjana, Orkes Tropicana, Nada Kantjana, and Chris Byantoro. LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of hard rock, a bit of freakbeat, and a plenty darn great album from Bulldog Breed – one that's got a lot more edge than you might expect from the slightly corny cover! The album's an obscure Decca release from the tail end of the 60s – and like some of the other more revolutionary Decca sides of the time, it's got a really free approach to the structure of the music – unexpected twists and turns that keep things interesting, as the album unravels through a tapestry of shorter tunes that mix sweet moments with much harder ones! Some tracks are heavy in fuzz, both on guitars and vocals – while others are far gentler, but with a really dark undercurrent. Titles include "Paper Man", "Broomstick Ride", "When The Sun Stands Still", "Friday Hill", "Reborn", "Dougal", "Austin Osmanspare", and "Top O The Pops Cock". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Halo In My Hair" and "Porticullis Gate". CD

What a weird one! This strange little record is one of the few that the team of Lol Creme and Kevin Godley cut after leaving 10CC – and it's a melange of odd songs that take off from the compressed pop style of their former group. Some of the lyrics are a bit silly, but there's also some strangely wonderful pop moments – floating vocals and compressed guitars and studio playing all coming together, in a mode that's pre-new wave, more classic rock baroque, and without space in the timeline of popular music. Titles include "Punchbag", "Group Life", "Sandwiches Of You", and "This Sporting Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest moment ever from Paul McCartney & Wings – a set that features killer hits and lesser-known gems – all woven into a fantastic 70s sonic tapestry! The production and presentation of the record are wonderful – the whole thing was virtually a pop art piece when it came out – and Paul's got a way of both being intimate and charming, and helping push the whole group with soaring energy that really made them huge at the time. The album's got great production – and also features guest work from Allen Toussaint, Tom Scott, and Dave Mason. Side one is a non-stop flow of pop genius – woven from the tunes "Venus & Mars", "Rock Show", "Love In Song", "You Cgave Me The Answer", "Magneto & Titanium Man", and "Letting Go" – and side two follows up with so many great surprises – including "Treat Her Gently Lonely Old People", "Medicine Jar", "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt", and "Listen To What The Man Said". LP, Vinyl record album

Slayer's fastest, darkest, heaviest album ever – and a defining moment in thrash metal! In the world of heavy rock, there's before Reign In Blood, and after Reign In Blood. Slayer redefined the genre, there's just no getting around it! In the 1980s, when pious or otherwise moral watchdogs were eyeing pop culture for boogeymen, Slayer was more than willing to be the world's scariest band – but beyond the calculated outrageousness, it's simply amazing music – bringing hardcore punk speed into the heavy metal mold. Best metal album ever? Includes "Angel Of Death", "Piece By Piece", "Necrophobic", "Altar Of Sacrifice", "Jesus Saves", "Criminally Insane", "Reborn", "Epidemic", "Post Mortem" and "Reigning Blood". CD

Pure mainstream 70s pop genius, the most fully-formed of all early Supertramp albums – and a record that's filled with a surprising amount of great Fender Rhodes moments too! The set's a masterpiece from start to finish – filled with themes of loss and loneliness, but served up by the group with an incredibly redemptive sense of majesty and power – really fresh for the time, and still wonderful all these many years later – despite the fact that so many of these songs have gone onto become classics. The keyboards on the set work perfectly with the oddly-timed rhythms of the tunes – and there's a great blend here between high concept and straight ahead pop – on titles that include "School", "Bloody Well Right", "Asylum", "Dreamer", "Rudy", and "Crime Of The Century". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure mainstream 70s pop genius, the most fully-formed of all early Supertramp albums – and a record that's filled with a surprising amount of great Fender Rhodes moments too! The set's a masterpiece from start to finish – filled with themes of loss and loneliness, but served up by the group with an incredibly redemptive sense of majesty and power – really fresh for the time, and still wonderful all these many years later – despite the fact that so many of these songs have gone onto become classics. The keyboards on the set work perfectly with the oddly-timed rhythms of the tunes – and there's a great blend here between high concept and straight ahead pop – on titles that include "School", "Bloody Well Right", "Asylum", "Dreamer", "Rudy", and "Crime Of The Century". CD

One of the two 80s masterpieces by this amazing Minneapolis group, before Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis left to change the face of commercial R&B! This first album and it's follow-up remain as a couple of the more enduring moments of slick, stylish American pop soul, and represent just a huge part of what we still love about the 80s! Titles include "Get It Up", "Girl", After Hi School", "The Stick", "Oh Baby" and the 10 minute jam "Cool", one of our fave cuts of the early 80s. "I'm cooler than Santa Claus, baby. . ." LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the girl group sound of the 60s – served up here in a collection that's a lot more soulful than some of the more pop-oriented packages on the market – but that's no surprise, given that the whole thing was put together perfectly by Ace Records! Ace and their related Kent label have given us so much great soul records over the years, and it's clear they really know where to dig deep for a set like this – getting past the overplayed hits and overdone cliches – and really exploring this explosive moment of female expression in pop music! The package features detailed notes on all the tracks that are included – and the set features 14 numbers in all – with titles that include "Boy Trouble" by The Rev-Lons, "Street Dance" by Bonnie Jean, "Lonely Girl" by The Lovettes, "You Really Never Know Till It's Over" by The Vel-Vetts, "Heart For Sale" by The Fran-Cettes, "I Can Tell I'm Losing Your Love" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "Boy You Move Me" by Joan Moody, "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by The Darlings, "Surfers Memories" by The Fashions, and "My Heart Tells Me So" by The Del-Phis. LP, Vinyl record album

David Bowie's grabbing the cover of Heroes for this surprisingly great album – using the old cover art, then marking it over – in ways that definitely give a hint at the sound underneath! The style's darker and edgier than we've heard Bowie in years – kind of in "Joe The Lion" territory at times – given the fuzzy use of guitar, and raspy touches on the vocals and other instrumentation – almost as if the whole thing's got the same sort of back to basics approach that David found during his years in Berlin. Yet overall, there's more sweet moments too – some surprisingly warm tunes that, while not like contemporary pop hits, may well help remind the world that the Bowie star can still shine brightly in the right setting. Titles include "Dirty Boys", "The Next Day", "If You Can See Me", "Boss Of Me", "Dancing Out In Space", "Love Is Lost", and "Valentines Day". Deluxe CD version features three bonus tracks – "So She", "Plan", and "I'll Take You There". CD

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". CD

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that was a classic from the moment it was first released – the legendary second effort from the trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash – with added bonus of Neil Young in the mix, which gives the whole thing a current of darkness that's completely mindblowing – especially in comparison to the harmonies of the quartet! These aren't the vocal patterns of the Sunshine Pop generation of a few years before – and CSNY find a way to capture all the darkness of the fading light of the 60s, while finding a special space for more thoughtful, sensitive sounds that never would have gotten a chance a few years before. Every track's a classic – and titles include "Carry On", "Our House", "Almost Cut My Hair", "Deja Vu", "Country Girl", "Everybody I Love You", "Woodstock", and "Teach Your Children". CD

A record that was an instant classic from the moment it was first released – and a set that's still pretty darn pleasing all these many years later! At a time when mainstream soul was often too smooth or too poppy, D'Angelo came along and not only found a way to return the music to the years of its power with singers like Al Green or Marvin Gaye – but also managed to bring in some of the best hip hop elements of his generation too, at a level that was far more successful than most other blends that had been tried before! Production is nice and lean, and super-crispy – at a level that so many folks are still copying all these years later – and the set's full of classics that include "Cruisin", "When We Get By", "Smooth", "Me & Those Dreamin Eyes Of Mine", "Brown Sugar", "Alright", and "Jonz In My Bonz". CD

Somehow, someway, Bob Dylan and Columbia Records can keep returning to the well of unreleased material – and draw jaw droppingly brilliant recordings that are mostly unheard to the general population of non Dylan diehard archaeologists! Here lies the fabled Witmark Demos – early recordings of treasured Dylan classics and rarities alike recorded raw and unencumbered, just Dylan's voice, guitar and occasional harmonica or piano – recorded in 1962 for Leeds Music (a few) and M. Witmark & Sons (most of 'em) in the early-to-mid 60s. Dylan was one of the first wave of 60s folk songwriters brought into the Tin Pan Alley machinations, a pretty amazing moment considering that this gruff, nasal voiced figure was soon to revolutionize popular music and there's no way Witmark could have known it. Hey, maybe this kid will make us a few bucks in the urban folk racket, eh? Wow. Of course many of these songs would be recorded by a who's who of 60s & 70s singers of all stripes, but it's always great to here Dylan's own early, raw sketches. Some of the performances come somewhat close to the way Dylan would cut them for his own landmark albums with just a bit more polish, others are close(ish) to how they sounded in earlier Dylan "bootlegs" (officially and not so official), and most of it has never been officially released commercially. Columbia continues the terrific Official Bootleg Series with a thick booklet of rare photos and notes by Colin Escott. Includes versions of "Hard Times In New York Town", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown, "Long Time Gone", "Farewell", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", "Girl From North Country", "Only A Hobo", "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Mr Tamborine Man", "I'll Keep It With Mine" and many more. 47 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! CD

An insanely deep look at the rise of the "new romantics" on the British music scene at the end of the 70s – a book that's bigger than most we've seen on more "classic" rock figures and moments – and which really takes its project seriously! The book starts way before the early 80s pop hits that pushed the music on a global scene – and starts instead in the years before punk, when embers of glam and art rock were cooling down, and allowing some new ideas to rise up on the scene – artists and musicians who were carefully threading their way through the bigger waves of the late 70s, before finally getting their due in a huge moment at the start of the 80s. All the big names are covered here – Depeche Mode, Ultravox, Wham, Soft Cell, and many others – but Dylan Jones also really stretches the net wide, and does a great job of situating the music, and showing its influence at a level that's way different than any might have predicted at the time! The book is almost 700 pages, hardcover, with a big section of photos in the middle. Book

The Levert bloodline runs mighty strong – with roots in the harmony sound of the O'Jays, reworked here to a beautiful new mode for the 80s – in a style that helped the group really revive vocal soul for the decade! At a time when so many other groups were just letting the beats and keyboards guide their vocals, Levert returned to the best sort of older soul modes – bringing back that classic east coast care with the lyrics to sit alongside backings that still have plenty of 80s electro soul elements. The blend is great, and clearly an inspiration for a generation of copycat acts to come in the 90s – but never handled by any of them this well. The upbeat tracks are catchy, but the mellow moments are our favorites – and titles include "Fascination", "Pop Goes My Mind", "Kiss & Make Up", "Grip", "Let's Go Out Tonight", "Looking For Love", and "I Start You Up You Turn Me On". LP, Vinyl record album

A great run of music from Jimmy Lyons – some of his most important albums as a leader! First up is Wee Sneezawee – the kind of work that makes you love the Black Saint label for giving players like Jimmy Lyons a chance to still express themselves this way! Lyons is in wonderful form throughout – blowing with all the sharp tones that you'd know from his work with Cecil Taylor, but also bringing in a bit more structure too – kind of shaping a coherent sound out of an infinite array of possible actions – any of which seem possible at any moment, given the dynamic energy of the group! Other players include William Parker on bass, Paul Murphy on drums, Karen Borca on bassoon, and Raphe Malik on trumpet – and tracks include "Wee Sneezawee", "Gossip", "Shackinback", "Remembrance", and "Driads". On Give It Up, Jimmy Lyons is wonderful, but equally great is trumpeter Enrico Rava – whose bold tones on the record easily match those of Lyons in terms of energy and inventiveness! The format is relatively free – although some tunes have a bit of an inside swing, at least more so than Lyons' work with Cecil Taylor – and other players include Karen Borca on bassoon, Jay Oliver on bass, and Paul Murphy on drums. Titles include the long workouts "Methods", "Never", and "Give It Up" – plus the shorter tune "Ballada". Burnt Offering features great duets between Jimmy Lyons on alto and Andrew Cyrille on percussion – and titles include "Popp A", "Exotique", and "Burnt Offering". Nuba is a compelling collaboration between percussionist Andrew Cyrille, vocalist Jeanne Lee, and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons – one of the freer sessions on the Black Saint label, and one of the most striking as well! Cyrille handles a wide range of percussion – and also a few whistles too – and he really sets the tone with his open, expressive approach to his instruments – almost more melodic at points than rhythmic, with echoes of African roots that come through more strongly than on some of his other albums. Most numbers are pretty spare, and titles include "Nuba 1", "Cornbread Picnic (Maize)", "The One Before Zero", "JJ & A", "In These Last Days", "Sorry", and "Nuba 2". Something In Return is another set of duets between Lyns and Andrew Cyrille! While working in Cecil Taylor's group, Cyrille and Lyons developed a wonderful interplay and dynamic, which can be felt in full effect on this wonderful duo recording, where they approach mostly original material, but also take on Strayhorn's "Take The A Train". Also includes the title track "Lorry", "JL", "Nuba" and "Fragments I". CD

The hardest to find of the David McCallum albums on Capitol – and like the others, a very nice set of moody tunes with arrangements by HB Barnum, and hip production by David Axelrod! Axelrod gets in some very nice moments on the set, slipping in some dark passages underneath simple pop tunes – a blend of late 60s covers and a few cool originals for the set, like "White Dasies", "Oh My", and "BB". Also includes versions of "98.6", "I'm A Believer", "Mellow Yellow", "California Dreamin", and "Mercy Mercy Mercy". LP, Vinyl record album

A great moment in chart soul – when the legendary Soul II Soul were restoring our faith in modern music again! This US 12" single features 2 Teddy Riley new jack remixes (to pop into the charts), plus the Caron Wheeler 12" version and that Nellee Hooper 7" version. All that and extra beats, too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Probably the most successful album the Mizell Brothers ever produced, and a fine set of uptempo groovers from this female soul duet! There's some nice jazzy moments underneath the catchy lyrics, and in a way, the album's style is sort of a blueprint for the sound that would emerge over the next few at Capitol Records, where some incredible albums of modern soul would be recorded. And sure, at one level the group's hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is a bit of oversaturated pop disco – but there's plenty of other great moments that show the group as a more sophisticated soul outfit, including "This Love Of Ours", "Sky High", "Distant", "You're In Good Hands", "Sky High" and "If We Loved". This remastered version from Big Break UK includes bonus mixes: "Boogie Oogie Oogie (Single Mix)", "Boogie Oogie Oogie (12" New Boogie Mix)" and "Disco Dancin' (12" Disco Mix)". CD

Probably the most successful album the Mizell Brothers ever produced, and a fine set of uptempo groovers from this female soul duet! There's some nice jazzy moments underneath the catchy lyrics, and in a way, the album's style is sort of a blueprint for the sound that would emerge over the next few at Capitol Records, where some incredible albums of modern soul would be recorded. And sure, at one level the group's hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is a bit of throwaway pop disco – but there's plenty of other great moments that show the group as a more sophisticated soul outfit, including "This Love Of Ours", "Sky High", and "If We Loved". LP, Vinyl record album

Was there a finer moment of 80s pop than this little gem? Maybe not – as the duo are at their most floppy-haired charming throughout – serving up some of the catchiest new romantic material of their generation, including the hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" – plus the tracks "Broken", "Listen", "Head Over Heels", "Mothers Talk", and "The Working Hour". CD

A big package of work – all the albums recorded by The Weather Girls, plus solo material and bonus tracks too! First up is Success – maybe the greatest moment ever from The Weather Girls – a long-running duo who started out as backing singers for Sylvester in the 70s, then recorded as Two Tons O Fun, and finally got the chance to cut this classic for a major label in the early 80s! Both Martha Wash and Izora Armstead are great singers – and work here with previous disco maestro Paul Jabara, who has a great way of shifting the groove to 80s club, while still allowing all the playful elements of the decade before! In a way, this was definitely one of those records that showed the world that in the right corners, disco wasn't dead – heard to best effect on the classic "It's Raining Men" – alongside other cuts that include "Success", "Hungry For Love", "Dear Santa", "Hope", and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair". Next is Big Girls Don't Cry – soaring vocals from The Weather Girls, set to bouncy grooves that are equal parts soul and pop! Martha Wash and Izora Armstead have mighty vocal chops throughout – that bold duo approach they first crafted as Two Tons O Fun, and pushed even more strongly as The Weather Girls – set here to keyboard-heavy backings from Leon Pendarvis, who knows just where to put the best hooks in the grooves! Titles include "Well A Wiggy", "Lock Me Up", "No One Can Love You More Than Me", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "You Can Do It", "Laughter In The Rain", and "March". Next is the self-titled Weather Girls album – the last album in the original run of The Weather Girls – and a set that's full of well-produced tracks from Reggie Lucas and Full Force, balanced out nicely as a way of pushing the duo's sound strongly past the disco years from which they emerged! Sylvester makes a guest appearance on the cut "Love's On The Way" – and other titles include "Why Can't We Show Our Love", "Burn Me", "Love You Like A Train", "Opposite Directions", "Something For Nothing", and "Land Of The Believer". Last up is a super-huge solo set from Martha Wash – made a number of years after her fame in The Weather Girls, and at a time when she had really emerged as an important voice in dance music after a big cut with C&C! By this point, Wash had plenty of recording experience under her belt – and she knocks it out of the park with vocals that are disco-trained, but much richer in soul content overall – certainly more so than some of her other contemporaries on the early 90s club scene. The album features help from a huge amount of studio talent, but it's clear that Wash is the shining star in the lead – really blowing away so much of the work from the "sound system with singer" generation of club – on cuts that include "Leave A Light On", "Give it To You", "Runaround", "Things We Do For Love", "So Whatcha Gonna Do", "Someone Who Believes In You", "Just Us", "Hold On", "When It's My Heart", and "Carry On". 4CD set features bonus tracks on every CD – 22 more bonus mixes and more! CD

The title's maybe a bit misleading – as most folks think of day-glo as a color associated with some of the most throwaway culture of the 80s – but the brightness of the hue definitely marks the big explosion in styles during the key British year of 1978 – a time when the punk revolution of 1977 opened the door for a big range of modes to follow! It might be said that the post-punk years came immediately after the initial days of punk – and they definitely begin here, as hard and fast modes are mixed with more unusual styles that include mod revival moments, electronic experiments, and even some offbeat pop – expressions of humor, anger, and a shifting political landscape – served up as an amazing document of the creative intensity of the time! As with other Cherry Red boxes, the overall package is great – a huge amount of notes to support the 79 tracks within – a diverse array of music from Blue Steam, The Others, UK Subs, The Jam, Monochrome Set, Wreckless Eric, Spizzoil, Public Image Ltd, 999, The Stranglers, Japan, The Only Ones, Magazine, Alternative TV, Slush, Time Machine, Eater, The Bozos, Tyla Gang, Ed Banger, No Sweat, The VIPs, John Cooper Clarke, Scritti Politti, Penetration, Stiff Little Fingers, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Teardrops, Coventry Automatics, Menace, Bleach Boys, Jilted John, Zones, Electric Chairs, and many more! CD

Cool cuts from around the globe – all brought together in one wonderfully funky set! The music here all draws heavily from American funk and psych styles – and often uses some slightly different instrumentation, or more regional inflection – to make the usual psych funk styles sound even more groovy and exotic – in a mindblowing way that makes the entire set a real musical delight! Most tracks are instrumental – heavy on drums and fuzzy guitar – but there's a few vocal moments, too – and the funk current is super-strong, way more so than on other collections that promise a heavy bottom, but usually just present offbeat psych. Titles include "Jet Pop" by Bana Pop Band, "Foxy Lady" by 49th Blue Streak, "Karate Chop" by The Tijuana Brats, "Stari Dvorac" by Pro Arte, "Nie Przejziemy Do Historii" by Krzysztof Klenczon, "Louis Louis" by Friar Tuck, "Time Of Machines" by Sergio Ferraresi, and "The Shaman's Dance" by Alexandr Sergeyevich. CD

A great look at the changing tone on the American scene at the end of the 60s – that moment when Vietnam, social unrest, and many other problems weighed heavily on the country's consciousness – and made their presence manifest in all sorts of pop music as well! We're not talking about the familiar sounds of the Woodstock generation – but instead more mainstream artists who had never touched on politics or social issues before – but suddenly found themselves singing alongside the underground about the bigger problems of the day. This package is a superb look at that moment – put together by the team who've given us the great English Weather and Paris In The Spring collections for Ace – with the same care for choice of tracks, and a wealth of wonderful notes that really get at the nature of these unusual tunes. Titles include "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard" by Elvis Presley, "Wine In The Wind" by Anita Kerr Singers, "Paint Me Black Angels" by Eartha Kitt, "This Crazy World" by Paul Anka, "Questions" by Bobby Darin, "Do You Believe This Town" by Dean Martin, "Cardboard California" by Buddy Greco, "Cherrystones" by Eugene McDaniels, "Save The Children" by Teresa Brewer, "Welfare Hero" by Johnny Tillotson, "What Do We Do With The World" by Bing Crosby, "4th Of July" by The Beach Boys, "Mr Businessman" by Ray Stevens, "Paint America Love" by Lou Christie, "Hitchhiker" by The Four Preps, "Brand New Day" by Della Reese, "Saturday's Father" by The 4 Seasons, and "Southbound Jericho Parkway" by Roy Orbison. CD

Ain't no party like a Alkoholik party – and year after year, this debut album still stands as one of the group's strongest moments! The album's a real landmark from the west coast scene – served with straight up, stripped down beats from E Swift and King Tee – plus a couple of very early Madlib tracks as well! And although the album's got more rhymes about booze than we could have imagined in rap, then or now, it transcends the motif big time – never too sloshed to raise the bar – maybe making that move from politics to party that Black Flag did the decade before. Titles include "Lik Wit", "Only When I'm Drunk", "Last Call", "Can't Tell Me Sh*t", "Turn Tha Party Out", "Bullsh*t", "Soda Pop", "Make Room", "Mary Jane", and "Who Dem Ni**as". LP, Vinyl record album

The 2 great albums by Big Star – back-to-back on CD! #1 Record is simply one of the best rock albums of the 70s – partly remembered as a defining moment in power pop, but to us there's a depth of emotion here that goes way beyond chords and choruses, and sinks into our very souls every time we listen to it! Indespensible Memphis rock, to say the very least. Titles include "Feel", "Ballad Of El Goodo", "In The Street", "The India Song", "When My Baby's Beside Me", "Give Me Another Chance", "Watch The Sunrise" and more. Radio City is also one of 70s rock's finest moments. With Chris Bell out of the picture, one could successfully argue the traits that it lacks from the first album, but this thing stands up as work of genius all its own – with a raw, shambling immediacy to the songs that cut incredibly deep. Amazing stuff all around – totally indispensable! Titles include "O My Soul", "Life Is White", "Way Out West", "You Get What You Deserve", "Mod Lang", "She's A Mover", "Morpha Too", "I'm In Love With A Girl". CD

A breakout solo moment from the great Edwin Birdsong – an artist who participated in some of Roy Ayers great albums of the 70s, and who cut some great underground records of his own – but who finally got the chance to step into the limelight on this set for Philadelphia International! Birdsong's always been his own man – one of the quirkiest funk artists you'll ever find – and the set's got a very different vibe than anything else from the Gamble & Huff house of hits – mostly because Edwin produced and arranged the whole thing on his own. There's a few slight Roy Ayers touches at times – we sometimes think of Edwin as the Bootsy to Roy's George Clinton – and the rhythms have a nicely romping groove that's more Bohannon than the usual disco tracks. There's also some mellower numbers – like the great "Autumn Eyes" and "Lollipop (Slow)", both of which have a mellow Ayers steppin' groove – and other more upbeat titles include"Cola Bottle Baby", "Phiss Phizz", "Kunta Dance", "Goldmine", and "Freaky Deaky Sities". CD features lots of 12" single bonus tracks – "Phiss Phizz (12" disco)", "Lollipop (12" disco)", "Goldmine (12" disco)", "Freaky Deaky Sities (12" disco)", and "Kunta Dance (part 1)". CD

The hazy, hook-heavy debut of Blur! The group's next couple of records would prove to be so influential, it's all too easy to overlook Leisure's strengths nowadays despite the massive popularity of the biggest singles at the time, but it's a real gem – setting a mood as strongly as anything to come! Leisure personifies the moment in Britpop very strongly, like a heavier sounding Stone Roses, but the fuzz-drenched guitar sound here is pretty unique – especially on tunes like "Slow Down" and "Repetition" – more indicative of 60s psych, while hinting at the more ambitious Blur to come. Includes the great early singles "She's So High" and "There's No Other Way", plus "Bad Day", "Sing", "Come Together", "High Cool", "Wear Me Down" and more. Cassette

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". CD

The beautiful full scale duets set from Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack – a record that's no doubt defined by it's biggest hit – but the rest is just as great! Born To Love kicks off with "Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You" – a song that's doubtlessly one of the most inescapable slow dance classics ever – and if its ubiquity overshadows the rest of the record, that's not because it's any less excellent! Peabo's affectionate style is in top form here, and Roberta is such a perfect duet partner – with plenty of lead moments of her own. It definitely feels like a perfectly balanced partnership. The record's got some lovely slow jams on par with the aforementioned pop soul standard, plus some great ones that up the tempo a little bit. Other titles include "Blame It On Me", "Born To Love", "Heaven Above Me", "Comin' Alive", "Can We Find Love Again", "You're Looking Like Love To Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the proudest pop moments in the Windy City during the 60s – the fantastic Columbia debut of The Buckinghams, easily one of the most tremendous vocal groups of their generation! At their core, the quintet work in a sunny way that's not unlike other pop acts – but the key difference here is that they're getting some incredible production and arrangements from James William Guerico, working in a pre-Chicago mode that has complicated horn charts pushing up brightly underneath the vocals – edging the whole mix way up into the stratosphere with a uniquely soaring sound! Other instrumentation is great too – bright, but never slick, and really complementing the vocals perfectly. Titles include "The Married Life", "Don't You Care", "Pitied Be The Dragon Hunter", "And Our Love", "I'll Be Back", and "Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

A real lost chapter of 70s genius from reedman John Carter – a set done after his better-known recordings with Bobby Bradford, in a style that's much more spacious overall! The material features a trio – with Carter on both soprano sax and clarinet, both instruments he plays with an incredible dexterity and sensitivity in sound – much looser and more open to sudden shifts of inspiration than his music with Bradford – with accompaniment from Stanley Carter on bass and William Jeffrey on drums and percussion! The style is free, but never indulgently so – and Carter finds this way to always reach for melodic moments even at his most intense – creating the kind of magic that few other musicians might with his instruments. Titles include "Echoes From Rudolph's", "To A Fallen Poppy", "The Last Sunday", "Armin", and "Angles". 2CD set adds in a whole disc of extra material from the trio – with a 19 minute "Echoes From Rudolphs/To A Fallen Poppy", and a very long stretch of different improvised passages! CD

The legendary 1970 recordings Alex Chilton made at Ardent Studios – recorded in a brief moment after the bust up of the Box Tops and before the debut of Big Star – and a truly powerful precursor to that most iconic of soulful Memphis rock acts! For the longest time, the 1970 sessions were something of a rock & roll holy grail – having been oft-discussed, if rarely heard, by Chilton and Big Star diehards. In the mid 90s, Ardent Records finally released the heart of this collection as 1970 – and here it's done up with even more love and respect by Omnivore, which over the course of just a handful of releases has become one of the very best deep digging reissuers of great, should-be classic soul & rock treasures. The vibe swings from stripped down, soulful rock that sometimes flirts with country rock – those songs featuring gruff, bluesy vocals from Chilton that belie his actual youth, just as greatly as his vox for The Box Tops – to gentler soul pop numbers that truly prefigure the Big Star sound to come. The collection features 20 tracks: all of the material from the long out of print 1970, plus other songs from the period, including demos (these are raw in the right kind of way, as finished as we'd ever want to hear them) and some original mono mixes. Great liner notes by Bob Mehr, a living encyclopedia of Memphis musical knowledge. Includes "Free Again (Original Mono Mix)", "Come On Honey", "Something Deep Inside", "I Can Dig It", "The EMI Song (Smile For Me)", "Every Day As We Grow Closer/Funky National", "I Wish I Could Meet Elvis", "All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain", "Sugar, Sugar/I Got That Feeling", "All I Really Want Is Money", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and more. CD

Marvin's definitely in the groove on this set – cooking on all burners with a host of late 60s Motown hits – bad-stepping his way towards some of the more mature moments to come in the 70s! The album's probably best remembered for the cut "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" – easily one of Marvin's biggest moments of the 60s, and a track whose popularity led to the album's title change from In The Groove to later incarnations as Heard It Through The Grapevine! Other cuts are equally great, and show Gaye really stretching out with mature, masculine confidence – pushing the envelope nicely on cuts that include "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", "There Goes My Baby", "Change What You Can", "You're What's Happening", "Tear It Down", "You", and "Some Kind Of Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of his best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop! LP, Vinyl record album

Michael, if only you'd stayed at this level! This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop! CD features some cool bonus tracks – voice-overs from Quincy Jones, plus interview bits, and demos of "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" and "Workin Day & Night". CD

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded version of Thriller – arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! CD/DVD package features loads of great stuff – CD includes 6 previously unissued bonus tracks, "The Girl Is Mine 2008 (with Will I Am)", "PYT 2008 (with Will I Am)", "Wanna Be Startin Somethin 2008 (with Akon)", "Beat It 2008 (with Fergie)", "Billie Jean 2008 (Kanye West mix)", and "For All Time". DVD features the short films/videos "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "Thriller" – plus a performance of "Billie Jean" from Motown 25. CD

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

Maybe not the first album of electronics to come out of the European scene – but a set that definitely marked that standout moment when moogy pop found a great way forward! Dan Lacksman had plenty of studio experience before cutting this gem of a record – and he brings that all to bear strongly here, working through both rock and easy modes – and using guitars and more conventional instrumentation alongside all the weird analog instrumental sounds, to give the tunes a catchy, playful sort of vibe – a bit like the territory that Perry & Kingsley explored, but more song-based overall. Titles include the slow funk classic "Sky Lab" – plus "Funky Kouly", "Spider", "In The Woods", "Hey Hey", and "Stay With Me" – plus the clunky cover of "Tchip Tchip" that starts off the record (you might skip that and begin on track 2!) CD

A fantastic sexy soundtrack from Bill Loose – scored for a Russ Meyer Sexploitation film, but handled with a care that goes way deeper than you might expect! Bill brings in some nice jazzy moments on organ and guitar – and there's also some Sunshine Pop-styled vocals at points – sometimes with lyrics, sometimes wordless singing in a cool harmony mode – all of which make the whole thing feel more like some higher-level rock-era score on a label like Uni or Tower! A few tunes are more romping and groovy – most likely for some of the sexier scenes in the film – and titles include "Toys Of Our Time", "Harry's Theme", "Here's Harry", "Cherry & Raquel", "Franklin & Cherry", and "Cherry's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Martha & The Vandellas were one of the few Motown 60s pop groups who actually got better as they got past their initial hit status – as these two albums will nicely attest! Reeves' vocals are fantastic, and very well trained for material such as this – nice little tracks with tight arrangements by Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, and David Van DePitte. She really shines on the material, and has a much deeper sound than we remember from her earlier stuff. Tracks on Natural Resources include "People Got To Be Free", "Won't It Be So Wonderful", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "Easily Persuaded", and "I'm In Love". Black Magic has some excellent moments – like the amazing track "Bless You". The cut was written by The Corporation, and it's got this incredible wall of sound arrangement, with Martha singing verse after verse about the religiosity of love. It's a great pop track, and you'll get it on the album along with other cuts like "No One There", "I Want You Back", "Hope I Don't Get My Heart Broke", and "Tear It On Down". And if that's not enough, the CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "I Gotta Let You Go", "Earthquake", and "People Got To Be Free". CD

Mazzy Star's second album and first for Capitol, one of those rare, wonderful moments in the early 90s when a band that had been bubbling just under the popular radar hooked up with a major label and managed to hit both a popular and creative peak! This one really hasn't aged a day since it came out. The songwriting pair of guitarist David Roback and Hope Sandoval – the former transcending pop psych influences as far back as the early 80s in The Rain Parade, the latter with one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices in rock at the time – put together their best, moodiest effort. Includes the breakout hit "Fade Into You", a cool cover of Arthur Lee & Love's then recent "Five String Serenade", "Blue Light", "She's My Baby", "Wasted", "Into Dust", "So Tonight That I Might See", "Mary Of Silence", "Unreflected" and "Bells Ring". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautifully warm record from the great Letta Mbulu – maybe the closest she ever came to cutting a straight soul album, although a set that still has plenty of nice nods to her South African roots as well! The music's got a smooth, sweet groove – and at some of the best moments, Letta steps in with a quality that feels like some of the best UK soul of the mid 80s – not exactly Sade, but not far off either. Other tunes have a bit more of a Afro pop feel, but very slightly – and titles include "The Village", "Nomalizo", "Nkedama", "Sweet Juju", and "Down By The River". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible blend of jazz and traditional Japanese instrumentation – done in a style that even has some nice funky touches from time to time! The work's a really ambitious one – taking simple musical patterns at its core, but then building them up and jamming over the top as the tracks progress – using unusual elements like koto, electric harpsichord, Fender Rhodes, and wordless vocals to make for some wonderful moments that seem to pop out of nowhere and really light up the tracks! Most of the record has a jazzy approach overall, but the sound is also far from the ordinary – making for an extremely unique session that really seems to define itself on its own terms! LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great obscure records from that moment when the mostly-pop Dot Records was dabbling in underground rock – and really letting the groups do their own sort of thing! The group's a trio – with Bruce Stephens on guitars and vocals – and the titles give a good idea of the direction of the music, as does the racy "peek a boo" cover too! Titles include "Scorpio Woman", "Vampire Symphony", "Mark Of The Beast", and "I Hear The Spirits". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from Al Hudson and One Way – a set that still has the group bristling with loads of funky energy – yet also hitting a groove that's wonderfully smooth as well! One Way were really one of the top of the larger funk combos of the time – and this set's a great illustration of the way they were able to perfectly balance all their different components, and come up with a sound that was lean, mean, and right on the money! Vocals shift a bit from track to track, as does the groove – and although things are upbeat, they're also never disco at all – nor too "fake funk" either. Some moments echo the coming style of 80s groove, but there's also a deeper soul feel overall, too – especially heard in the mellower ballads, which are as great as the uptempo numbers. Titles include "Something In the Past", "Do Your Thang", "Pop It", "I Wanna Be With You", "You're The One", and "Copy This". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn, One Way never lets us down – and although the group cut many albums back in the day, all of them have some great standout moments! The groove here seems even tighter than ever, but never slick or commercial – a very important distinction, given that so many of One Way's contemporaries really let things slide as they headed for the pop charts. Not so with Al Hudson and group, though – as they always know how to balance things out with all the best elements they had from the start – a good mix of upbeat groovers and some mellower steppers – the latter of which really make us love the record. Titles include the smooth stepper "More Than Friends, Less Than Lovers", which features lead vocals by Ewana Wilson, and some sweet harmonies by the Ridgeways that really make the track – and other titles include "Let's Talk", "Serving It", "Condemned", and "If I Knew". CD also features the bonus track "Let's Talk (extended version)". CD