The fantastic early sound of the great Johnny Cash – captured here by Sun Records, who really did a great job of bringing out the rhythmic pulse in Johnny's music! As with his best early singles, the style here is very raw – romping guitar riffs next to the man's incredible deep voice – set up perfectly on the sorts of tunes that just seem to get better and better the more you give them a listen! Titles include "Luther's Boogie", "I Just Thought You'd Like To Know", "I Forgot To Remember To Forget", "Katy Too", "You Tell Me", "Just About Time", "You Win Again", "Thanks A Lot", "Get Rhythm", and "I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

An underground classic from Karen Dalton – a record that's almost out of time, given its early 70s release – as Karen sings with spare backings that are almost in a Folkway Records mode at points, but with all these headier currents that are also indicative of the Bay Area generation too! Dalton's voice is completely unique too – unlike anything you'll ever hear – phrasing that almost hearkens back both to vintage jazz and Appalachian folk, but a style that's more long hair – as are some of the backings too. The set was recorded upstate in Bearsville – and really has all the hallmarks of the freedoms of that scene at the time – summed up beautifully on material that includes "Something On Your Mind", "In A Station", "Take Me", "Same Old Man", Are You Leaving For The Country", "Katie Cruel", and "How Sweet It Is". (Rock, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime early work from Bonnie Dobson – really spare, really beautiful tracks recorded years before Dobson became more of a pop phenomenon – with a classic sound that's instantly mesmerizing, right from the very first note! The record just features Bonnie's guitar and her amazing voice – recorded perfectly by Rudy Van Gelder, who did as great of a job here as with any of his jazz sessions for Prestige Records – maybe even more so, given the intimacy of the record. Titles include "The Cruel War Is Raging", "Mistress Bond", "Envoyons De L'Avant", "The Road To Grandmere", "The Old Maid's Lament", "Across The Blue Mountain", and "Frankie Slide". CD

Pure greatness! This set compiles all of the early work of the one and only Hag, from his early days at the indie Tally Records, through his first several years at Capitol. Pretty much everything Hag recorded up to and including Mama Tried – and not a stinker in the bunch! Includes all of the early album tracks plus singles and alternate versions, including "I Threw Away The Rose", The Bottle Let Me Down", "Mama Tried", "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive", "Green Green Grass Of Home", his absolutely perfect version of "Folsom Prison Blues" – all of the greats! Also included in the fantastic package is a huge book full of info about Hag's, let's just say, interesting personal life, recording details, tons of photos – flawless! CD

Some of the most tripped-out music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – and that's saying a lot, given the nature of the group! This unique early album on ESP features two side-long tracks – both of which are mini-suites of sort, and filled with odd sounds, weird themes, and a strange mixture of hippie instrumentation and sci-fi experimentation! The group for the record is a quartet – with the core combo of Peter Stampfel on violin and vocals and Steve Weber on guitar, augmented by playwright Sam Shephard on drums and Lee Crabtree on piano and organ – plus extra vocals from the trio of Antonia, Barbara, & Wendy. The music is in the best free-thinking style of other rock on the ESP label in the 60s – and titles include "Jimmy & Crash Survey The Universe" and "The Second-Hand Watch". LP2 features Live In 1965 – Some of the earliest music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – a rare live performance from 1965, recorded at the Chess Mate nightclub in Detroit, and featuring only the duo of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber! The music here is a bit more folksy and a bit less trippy than some of the Rounders' later recordings, but it still shows a decidedly left-field approach – not just in the subjects of the tunes, but also in the way the guitar, banjo, and fiddle are used – almost as additional voices at times, instead of conventional folk instrumentation. Titles include "Crowley Waltz", "Black Eyed Suzy", "My Mind Capsized", "Fishin Blues", "Rum Mountain", "Random Canyon", "Skin Game", "Indian War Whoop", and "Flop Eared Mule". (Rock, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing album from vocalist Caroline Peyton – a eclectic set from '77 that manages to cohesively blend pop, country, soul, folk and even a touch of disco-styled funk – but it all holds together masterfully thanks to credible craftsmanship and especially to Caroline's lovely vocals! Caroline has an incredible voice – and she's given plenty of room on these tracks to really fill the room with it. Some of tunes wouldn't be out of place at all in the Laurel Canyon scene, but she also handles a more diverse palette of styles. One track, "Party Line" takes a left turn towards club soul, and despite being a bit of an anomaly, it somehow feels right in place with the rest of it. there's an honest, midwestern aura here that shines through wonderfully. Caroline and songwriter/producer Mark Bingham made impeccable team on the couple of underappreciated records they made together in the 70s, and Intuition is a true gem! Original album tracks include "Still With You", "Together", "Donkey Blues", "Call Of The Wild", "Just As We", "You Too", "Brister", All This Waiting" and "Light Years". Numero/Askerisk goes the extra mile with this well done revisit – with nice liner notes by Edd Hurt, photos, and 7 bonus tracks, including demos, outakes and more – including "Shake Down", "Another Today", "Try To Be True", "Spin" and more. CD

A Spanish album that brings together two classic early records from this great guitarist! First up is the self-titled John Renbourn – the first full album from acoustic genius Renbourn – a set that would not only establish John's legacy for years to come, but also have a very strong impact upon the role of the guitar on the British scene too! The album's definitely in a mode that owes something to an American folk legacy – but it also really breaks from the past with unusual phrasings and colorings in Renbourn's guitar – certainly with an ear towards ancient English modes, but also at once very fresh and contemporary – a strong precursor to the waves of new acoustic talents that would flow from the UK a few years later, but maybe even more revolutionary – given that John's mostly just working here with his guitar and voice. Bert Jansch adds guitar to a few tracks – and titles include "Song", "Down On The Barge", "Plainsong", "Judy", "Beth's Blues", "Blue Bones", "Train Tune", "Winter Is Gone", and "Noah & Rabbit". Next is Another Monday – one of Renbourn's most obscure records, and a set that is mostly instrumental, with some completely fantastic work by Renbourn on guitar – but which also features a bit of guest vocals from singer Jacqui McShee – whose warmer presence next to John really makes for a nice pairing. The album's as powerful as it is subtle, really beautiful in its sense of variety – with titles that include "Buffalo", "One For William", "Lost Lover Blues", "Another Monday", "Day At The Seaside", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", and "Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

Every single song the great Jimmie Rodgers ever recorded! Jimmie Rodgers might be THE forefather of traditional country music, and one of the great hard times poets of the century. Bear Family has gone all out to include his entire recorded history, and if justice served this set would be celebrated in the same manner as Harry Smith's Antholology Of American Folk Music. The recorded history here is every bit as important, if not more so, to the maturation of American music – but even more importantly, it's filled with breathlessly great songs! Everything's here – "The Soldier's Sweetheart", "Sleep, Baby, Sleep", "Ben Dewberry's Final Run", "Mother Was A Lady", "Blue Yodel", "Treasure's Untold", "Mississippi Moon", "You And My Old Guitar", "I'm Lonely And Blue", "My California Sunshine Girl", "Mississippi River Blues", "Nobody Knows But Me", "She Was Happy 'Til She Met You", "For The Sake Of Day's Gone By", "Jimmie's Mean Mama Blues", "In The Jailhouse Now", "T.B. Blues", "Let Me Be Your Sidekick", and tons more. Tuberculosis took Jimmie away while he was still in his 30s, but he left an incredible legacy – unprecedented music that fused old time gospel, blues, and mountain folk into a new American art form. Nearly 150 tracks, including many alternate versions, and a great booklet crammed with biographical information and photos. CD

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