Forget the cheesy title and cover – this is a great compilation, with some really wonderful tracks from the 70s! Like the first set in this series, the focus is on older grooves that have a kicked-back, chilled-out approach to funk – and as such, the set is stuffed with wonderful tunes that we might have missed otherwise! There's a real genius to the package – similar to Irma's Quiet Moments compilation – and the track selection goes way past the obvious, or the familiar, to include tracks that have been locked away on older albums by artists that you might already know. The whole thing's great – as much of a delight in the morning as it is in the middle of the night – with tracks that include "Reflections" by Bill Conti, "Poobli" by Alphonze Mouzon, "Doubting Thomas" by Michel Legrand, "Chutney" by Mandrill, "Cha Chita" by El Chicano, "Night Breeze" by Bobby Lyle, "Feel The Vibe" by Loose Ends, "Close The Door" by Rufus, "The City" by Mark & Almond, "Suzanne" by Gary McFarland, "Snow Queen" by The City, "Say No More" by The Peddlers, "From Here To Eternity" by Engelbert Humperdink, "Walking In The Wind" by Traffic, "The Visit" by The Cyrkle, and "Elegy" by Colosseum. And we should warn you, album 2 has a few especially nice surprises – rock tunes we thought we'd never hear again, settled next to some great funky groovers. 26 tracks on 2LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer! Take the funky genius of Kenny Dope and Keb Darge, set them loose on a pile of rare funky 45s, and you've got one of the best sets of music we've ever carried! Both guys really know their stuff – and they've done an excellent job with this set, which is easily as great as any of the Keb Darge ones, if not better! Hard drums, rumbling bass, blaring horns, choppy guitars, and screaming vocals abound – and the set's a great blend of instrumental and vocal funk, all with that deep deep deep sound that never gets old! Titles include "Get It Off The Ground" by Joe Coleman, "I Got Some" by Billy Gardner, "UFO" by Micky & Them, "Contradiction" by Total Experience, "Soul Food" by Frankie Seay & The Soul Riders, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, "Don't Push Your Luck" by The Peacemakers, "Grandma's Funky Popcorn" by The Soul Generals, "Ghost A Go Go" by Richard Rome, and "Cissy Strut N American Woman" by The Willard Posey Reunion. Great stuff – and 20 cuts in all! CD

An amazing look at the early years of Sly Stone – a hip array of rare projects Sly recorded with other artists, plus a few pre-Columbia gems of his own! The package is beautifully put together, and the vibe here is definitely a great precursor to the famous sound of Sly with the Family Stone in the late 60s – a perfect illustration of his early ear for funky rhythms and some of the most righteous soul of his generation! And oddly, even artists who usually sound far from Stone come out definitely sounding a bit Sly-like here – and the package features the usual Ace great notes, to help you understand where all this great music's coming from. Titles include "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "I'm Going Home (part 1)" and "Home Sweet Home (part 2)" by Joe Hicks, "You're The One (parts 1 & 2)" by Little Sister, "Life & Death In G & A" by Abaco Dream, "I'm Just Like You" by 61X, "Underdog" by The Beau Brummels, "Can't She Tell" by Billy Preston, "LSD" by Freddie & The Stone Souls, "Stanga" by Little Sister, "I Remember" by Sly & Billy Preston, "Superfunk" by Freddie & The Stone Souls, and the cuts "For Real (demo)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Life Of Fortune & Fame", "You Really Got Me (demo)", and "I Ain't Got Nobody" by Sly Stone himself! (Soul, Funky Compilations) CD