Beautiful work from the Youngbloods – a mixture of folk rock and jazzy phrasing, very much in the same spirit of Tim Hardin or Tim Buckley, with a depth and complexity that's quite surprising, and which has held up surprisingly well over the years – almost more appealing now than when it was first recorded. The electric piano alone is worth the price of admission – jazzy in a way you won't find on the group's other records – and the album features a number of longer tracks – including a sublime reading of Fred Neil's "The Dolphin", and the cuts "Beautiful", "Sunlight", "Ride The Wind", and "Sugar Babe". (Rock, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

Piano and violin come together beautifully here – the former by Barbara Higbie, the latter by Darrol Anger – who also plays mandolin and cello as well! There's an acoustic balance here that's more jazz than some of the other Windham Hill albums of the time – especially in the music's sense of rhythm and phrasing – and the rich acoustic tones of both players get wonderfully past some of the new age cliches that are too-often wrongly associated with the label – and remind us that at their best, records like these offer up a key flowering of the acoustic underground of the 70s. Mike Marshall plays guest mandolin on one title – and tracks include "Movie", "Tideline", "Above The Fog", "True Story", "Onyame", and "Gemini". CD

A classic set from British singer/songwriter Michael Chapman – his last recorded for the Harvest Records label, but done in a way that has the sort of rootsy undercurrents you'd be more likely to find in work from the US! Chapman plays both acoustic and electric guitar, often blended together in ways that echo his folk roots, but push things into a headier space overall – especially when some of the larger arrangements come into the mix – used sparingly, but in ways that show the deeper currents of the lyrics. Paul Buckmaster handled these orchestrations, with just the right touch – and titles include "Polar Bear Fandango", "Indian Queens", "Wrecked Again", "Time Enough To Spare", "Night Drive", and "Mozart Lives Upstairs". (Rock, Folk/Country) 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