Fantastic work by one of the unsung heroes of Sun Records – 16 titles that include "Thunderbird", "Sadie's Back In Town", "All My Sins Taken Away", "Restless", "Going Home", "Red Headed Woman", "You're Not The One For Me", "Tomorrow Night", and "Feel So Good". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". CD

The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! CD

If you ever doubted the blues chops of Canned Heat, take a listen to this album – as the group are joined by the great John Lee Hooker, who they let stand strongly in the spotlight and almost make the album his own! Previous sets by Canned Heat were already pretty darn great – a huge cut above blues-inspired rock groups of the late 60s years – but with Hooker in the lineup here, the sound gets even more raw and sensitive – so much so that a number of these cuts almost feel like some of the early Detroit 78rpm recordings the older blues musician recorded at the start of his career – hardly the watered-down blues rock you might expect. Titles include "Burning Hell", "Send Me Your Pillow", "Messin With The Hook", "Boogie Chillen No 2", "Peavine", "Just You & Me", "Whiskey & Wimmen", and "I Got My Eyes On You". CD

A never-issued album from Cali surf legends The Chantays – and a set that offers up a surprisingly nice twist at this late point in their career! The surf guitars of before are still very much in place, but the rhythms and production have changed in a nice way – reflecting that moment when surf records were becoming a strong pathway to Sunshine Pop – a mode that's echoed here especially on three surprising vocal numbers on the album too! The shift also makes for a subtle current of darkness that the group never had before – one echoed on the sun setting down on them in the cover, and which really deepens the feel of the record in a wonderful way. Titles include "A Dawning Sun", "Copenhagen", "Raylene", "Now That It's Over", "Take It Like A Man", "Sentimental Guitar", "Mr Moto", and "Outside's Inside Sad". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong 80s set from Gene Clark – with guest vocals from Chris Hillman and Thomas Jefferson Kaye – and titles that include "Something About You Baby", "Rain Song", "Made For Love", "Feel A Whole Lot Better", and "Vanessa". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly sweeter version of Cluster than on previous records – a bit more focused, tuneful, and rhythmic – thanks to some great use of the "rhythmusmaschine"! Most numbers here have a slightly pulsating feel – one that really prefaces the electronic modes that would come from the UK at the end of the decade, especially the best work of the Sheffield scene. Cluster here show the way brilliantly – taking the longer jams of earlier years, and honing them down into simple melodies and rhythms – yet still delivered with a fair bit of edge throughout, and not nearly as much of the softness that would characterize later work by Moebius or Roedelius. Tracks include "Hollywood", "Caramel", "James", "Rote Riki", "Fotschi Tong", and "Marzipan". LP, Vinyl record album

A package that looks like a tape box, and which includes a whole host of never-heard tracks from the great Glenda Collins – a stunning female singer who worked with UK production genius Joe Meek back in the 60s! Glenda recorded a few key tracks that were issued as singles – soaring numbers that take her magnificent vocal approach and give it all the cool, crisp, electric touches that made Meek's production so great – touches that are given plenty of space here to roam around, as the box features all sorts of studio outtakes, alternates, backing tracks, and more – almost giving Collins the sort of treatment that the Beach Boys have gotten with some of the box sets that highlight all the cool variations of Brian Wilson's work in the studio. The set features 64 tracks in all – titles that include "I Lost My Heart At The Fairground", "Baby It Hurts", "Feel So Good", "Lollipop", "Thou Shall Not Steal", "Been Invited To A Party", "It's Hard To Believe It", "Don't Let It Rain On Sunday", and lots lots more – including jingles, French tracks, and more – all with very copious notes on the material. CD

Titles include "I Feel Free", "NSU", "Dreaming", "Cat's Squirrel", "Toad", and "I'm So Glad". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "I Feel Free", "Politician", "Badge", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Crossroads", "White Room", "Strange Brew", and "Swlabr". CD

The second album from Crow, and one of those records that should have stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the bigger albums of the time – as these guys have the same blend of blues-inspired hard rock as some of their key contemporaries, while also come cross with an individual flavor that's all their own! Lead singer Dave Wagner has a nicely odd way of delivering a lyric – almost frenetic in feel, and matched with plenty of searing lines from guitarist Dick Weigand. The organ's pretty nice at times too – and titles include a remake of "Slow Down" – plus "The Last Prayer", "Cottage Cheese", "Gone Gone Gone", "Heading North", "Death Down To Your Soul", "I Stand To Blame", "Colors", and "Smokey Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

The breakout album for The Cryan Shames – a wonderfully groovy harmony pop combo from the 60s – one with a sound that's very much the best Sunshine Pop of LA, even though these guys hail from our hometown of Chicago! The vocals come together with a really magical feel – sometimes mellow and drifty, ala The Association – sometimes vibrant and soaring, in a really catchy way! The whole album's great – with just a touch of Brit invasion guitar jangle behind the vocals at times – and titles include "Heat Wave", "We'll Meet Again", "If I Needed Someone", "Hey Joe", "Sugar & Spice", "July", "I Wanna Meet You", and "Ben Franklin's Almanac". LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

Mighty nice material from the earliest years of Jackie DeShannon – a full unreleased album for Liberty, plus a bunch of other rare tracks too! The album is fascinating – as it's a tribute to Ray Charles, and has Jackie not singing her own songs, as she would do famously later – but instead taking on tunes from the Ray Charles songbook, especially heavy on the Atlantic years – which come across with this soulful style that's really a change for Jackie! And sure, she's always had a current of soul in her music – but here, she has raspy vocals on a number of cuts, almost echoing Etta James – and great arrangements that really fit the vibe. Ray Charles titles include "Night Time Is The Right Time", "Georgia On My Mind", "I'll Drown In My Own Tears", "Ain't That Love", "Hallelujah I Love Him So", and "What'd I Say". The bonus material is also heavy on soulful styles too – in part because a number of them were recorded with great R&B producer Clyde Otis – and the set features a total of 24 tracks, with other titles that include "Wishin Won't Get It", "I Must Be Dreaming", "Shed A Tear", "Don't You Feel Sorry For Me", "Gonna Search", and "Nothing Can Stop Me". CD

A rare Japanese-only album from this 70s AOR legend – a set issued after Ned Doheny's big album for Columbia Records, but a set that feels as if it came just a few years after! During a generation where most folks were relying on streamlined production and instrumentation, Doheny still crafts things here with a really warm feel that works beautifully with his well-penned tunes, and his special approach to blue-eyed soul – easygoing Cali-style at its best, served up on a set of all-original material! Titles include "Love's A Heartache", "Back To The World", "Til Kingdom Come", "Follow Your Heart", "Whatcha Gonna Do For Me", "Heartbreak In The Making", and "Life After Romance". CD features five bonus tracks – including acoustic versions of "Get It Up For Love", "If You Should Fall", "Postcards From Hollywood", and "Whatcha Gonna Do For Me" – plus "Whatcha Gonna Do For Me (TV mix)". CD

Darkly beautiful sounds from the duo of Don & Stevie Gere – a husband and wife who work here with a style that's folksy, but a bit spooky too – possibly due to the fact that the music within was recorded in their California home, and never issued for years! There's a deeply personal feel to the songs here – almost like we're peeking in on the intimacy of the couple, but as they try to put together a message to reach outside of their home too – themes of their own love mixed with greater societal issues – later taken up as some of the songs were reworked by other artists like David Gates, Curt Boettcher, and Waddy Wachtel. Yet there's an innocence to these original recordings that's really mindblowing – rescued from oblivion on aging acetates, and represented here on cuts that include "Sweet Sugar", "Keep An Eye On You", "Another Blue Day", "What Do You Think Of Me", "Kindly", and "Tell Me Now". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those very cool, very obscure albums on Uni at the end of the 60s – a set co-produced by early hit rocker Buzz Clifford and the group's guitarist, Dan Moore. Titles include "Heavy Love", "Can't Feel Love", "Is My Love Strong", and "Move Like Love" – clearly these guys have love on their minds! LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly mellow work from Steve Eaton – a singer with a nicely laidback take on blue-eyed soul, served up in some lean arrangements with a nice jazzy vibe – all a nice change from some of the bigger, more commercial work of the period! The indie approach of the set gives the whole thing the feel of a record from a half decade before – as Steve unabashedly puts himself forward vocally, while also handling both acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, piano, and more – with support from some equally easygoing session musicians too! Titles include the wonderfully groovy "Without Out" and "All In Love Say I" – plus "Got Me Moanin", "Rakin Leaves In The Wind", "Hurricanes & Tornadoes", "You're Not A Hero", "Friendly Stealer", and "Old Smart Big & Kind". LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart". CD

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! (Vocalists, Rock) CD

A groovy record from Jose – with his best kind of crossover feel! It's an unusual title – one that refers to the first track on the record, recorded by Jose Feliciano at age 10 – and the rest of the material included, done when Jose was 23 years old. It's a mixture of American soul, Latin roots, and Jose's own unique touches – that Feliciano blend of well-played acoustic guitar and super-sensitive vocals – all produced with a slightly airy feel that only adds to the mood of the tracks. Titles include "First Of May", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Little Red Rooster", "Miss Otis Regrets", "She's A Woman", and "I've Gotta Get A Message To You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great summation of Jose Feliciano's genius during his initial years at RCA – that unique mix of Chicano soul, acoustic folk, and Latin rhythms that made him sound unlike anyone else at the time! There's a charm to this work that's undeniable – an instantly compelling feel that makes you understand just why folks went so nuts for Jose right from the start, and why his particular growth and contribution to American music was as important from his perspective during these years as was Stevie Wonder's over at Motown! The set features a mix of live work, singles, and album tracks – and titles include his haunting version of "California Dreaming", plus "Hitchcock Railway", "Nature Boy", "Light My Fire", "Susie Q", "Hi Heel Sneakers", "Destiny", "Malaguena", "Life Is That Way", and "Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the heaviest albums to ever come from Japan – a wicked batch of tripped-out, fuzzy tunes to rival the hardest rock from the UK at the time! Flower Travellin Band have a basic approach that's build on pounding drums and rumbling basslines – and although the guitars are fierce too, they're often used with some slight exotic phrasings at times – styles that have a slight Eastern flavor that really adds to the record. The vocals are really wailing too – banshee-styled, but also with some bluesy undertones – and the album is essentially one long track, broken up into different sections with a different feel. (Japanese, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual group, with a vibe that's wonderfully hard to peg – partly funky, maybe a bit jazzy, and with some prog and blues rock elements in the mix too – yet all served up in a blend that's very much the group's own! There's a number of tracks that almost feel like they began as studio jams, which then have "singer" Richie Hamilton kind of speaking some lyrics that are often muted a bit next to the riffing guitar, bass, and drums – while a few other tracks have a stronger instrumental vibe, with very strong guitar work from Frank Vandenkloot. Eric Tagg makes a great appearance on Fender Rhodes on the cut "Friends" – and other titles include "Victim Of The Past", "What Is Man", "I'll Never Let You Go", and "Necernomicon". CD

A cool quartet with some very groovy vocals – a combo who seem to take some great inspiration from Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – as well as other hip vocal groups of the 60s! The lineup features one gal and three guys – often with the gal singer in the lead, supported by warm harmonies from the male singers – all grooving to their own instrumentation, played on organ, guitar, and drums! This lean approach is mighty nice – and has the group soaring through a cool mix of soul and pop material that's all pretty upbeat and lively – given a few 70s touches on the keyboards at times, and coming across with a spontaneous feel that almost makes you feel like you're catching the combo in a club. Titles include "Dream A Dream A Day", "Scarborough Fair", "Summertime", "I Thank You", "More Today Than Yesterday", "What The World Needs Now", "Let's Make It One World", and "Day Dreaming". (Vocalists, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A cool quartet with some very groovy vocals – a combo who seem to take some great inspiration from Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 – as well as other hip vocal groups of the 60s! The lineup features one gal and three guys – often with the gal singer in the lead, supported by warm harmonies from the male singers – all grooving to their own instrumentation, played on organ, guitar, and drums! This lean approach is mighty nice – and has the group soaring through a cool mix of soul and pop material that's all pretty upbeat and lively – given a few 70s touches on the keyboards at times, and coming across with a spontaneous feel that almost makes you feel like you're catching the combo in a club. Titles include "Dream A Dream A Day", "Scarborough Fair", "Summertime", "I Thank You", "More Today Than Yesterday", "What The World Needs Now", "Let's Make It One World", and "Day Dreaming". (Vocalists, Rock) CD

One of the few straight rock records ever issued on the mostly-folk Monitor Records label – a great 60s outing from Freeborne, a group with a sound that's as tripped-out as you might expect from the cover! Instrumentation is heavy on organ and guitars, both acoustic and electric, but there's also some cool percussion too – and interesting use of recorders, in a way that comes across with an ocarina-like charm! Vocals are somewhat soft, but have a dark undercurrent – and there's a really great folk-into-psyche sort of feel to the whole thing. Titles include "Images", "Land Of Diana", "But I Must Return To Frenzy", "Inside People", "Yellow Sky", "Peak Impressions & Thoughts", and "Visions Of My Own". CD

A really joyous groove from Michel Fugain and his Big Bazar group – a sound that's a bit hard to describe, but which really grabs us right away! There's definitely some groovy rhythms going on in the set – and the style is kind of an updated French pop mode from the late 60s – swinging in a way that absorbs plenty of influences from the outside scenes, particularly some Brazilian ones – but with a sound that's definitely French all the way through. Fugain's vocals are in the lead, often supported by a chorus – and the backings by Jean Bouchety have this really cool soundtrack feel at points – especially when the rhythms are upbeat and grooving. Titles include "Allez Bouge-Toi", "Attention Mesdames Et Messieurs", "Notre Societe", "Les Gens Irremplacables", "Leda Leda", and "L'Arche De Noe". (French, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most tuneful work we've ever heard from The Fugs – tracks that almost border on pop-psyche at times, but still get nicely tripped out at other moments! Side one has the trio almost touching territory of other Reprise rock from the times – slightly psyche, slightly country, slightly Sunshine at points – and side two is a bit more of a hippy dippy freakout, with a huge number of shorter tunes that flow sweetly into one another! Some of these actually have a great sound art sort of feel, and a fw even get slightly funky too – all with a new sense of tightness that arguably gives the group a lot more power than before! Titles include "Johnny Pissoff Meets The Red Angel", "Burial Waltz", "Crystal Liaison", "Wide Wide River", "Marijuana", "We're Both Dead Now, Alice", "Life Is Strange", "The National Haiku Contest", "The Divine Toe", "Leprechaun", and "Grope Need (Part I)". LP, Vinyl record album

Peter Gabriel gets a bit bolder and more confident here in his solo role – coming out with some of the bite of his Rael character from years back, but with a tighter, more focused mode that's pretty darn great! You can hear the early touch of the styles that would wander too strongly into the wrong territory a decade later – but here, things are all pretty darn fresh – wrapped around song themes that feel like very new ones for Gabriel, in ways that almost have you feeling him pick and choose the topics as the record moves on. Production is tight, but never too uptight – and titles include "On The Air", "DIY", "Exposure", "Animal Magic", "Flotsam & Jetsam", "Perspective", and "White Shadow". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier". Great new LP reissue package – with 180 gram vinyl, notes, an interview, and even lyrics in English & French! (French, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier". Great new LP reissue package – with 180 gram vinyl, notes, an interview, and even lyrics in English & French! (French, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The Grateful Dead in the early 80s – still going strong in a live setting, and with a vibe that's maybe even closer to their roots than some of their Arista studio material at the time! The set is a massive ten-sided representation of a show that has the group soaring and stretching out on nearly every track – with jamming versions of "Ramble On Rose/El Paso", "Althea", "Feel Like A Stranger", "Stella Blue/Good Lovin", "Space/The Other One", "Uncle John's Band/Drums", "Ship Of Fools", "Estimated Prophet", "China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider/Samson & Delilah", "Deep Elem Blues", "New Minglewood Blues", "Beat It On Down The Line", "US Blues", and "Bird Song". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first albums ever made by Bruce Haack – the mad musician who's best known for his electronic work, but who also left behind a huge legacy of self-produced work for children! This album was done in collaboration with Miss Nelson – Esther Nelson, a dance instructor who worked heavily with kids – and it's got a naive, post-beat sort of feel that predates Haack's later hippie work, but which is equally charming. There's some very primitive electronic work on the record, next to odd instrumentation, and some very weird vocals from both Nelson and Haack – aimed at the kids who were the supposed audience for this one, but which make the whole thing sound more like an Ernie Kovacs episode gone mad! Definitely songs in the key of z – with tracks that include "Clap Your Hands", "Sunflowers", "Sailing", "A Stuffy Story", "Pussycats", "Trains", and "My Bones". (Sound Library, Rock) CD

Mindblowing music from Hapshash & The Coloured Coat – a group with a sound that's every bit as freewheeling as their name! The set's a unique collaboration between DJ/producer Guy Stevens and psych poster designers Michael English and Nigel Weymouth – and has this loose, unfettered feel that's almost more like a "happening" in the studio instead of some road-jamming band cutting its music to vinyl – a really hair-down party with instrumentation on trippy percussion, jangly guitar, and other odd sounds that step in and out of the mix – showing a larger studio sense of manipulation for the whole record. There's an odd groove to the record at parts – almost a chaos theory return of the eternal – and titles include "H-O-P-P Why?", "A Mind Blown Is A Mind Shown", "The New Messiah Coming 1985", "Aoum", and the epic side two jam "Empires Of The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy instrumental work from the legendary Tony Hatch – served up here in a package that would help American audiences understand his role in the Petula Clark tune "Downtown"! This set steps off the same sort of energy as Hatch's British bounce on that cut – offering up a range of instrumental tunes that groove nicely with a swinging 60s London feel – tight orchestrations with a great sense of syncopation at the bottom – one that helps the music move a lot more groovily than American albums of this type! Hatch has a great sense of timing throughout – one that really helps things move nicely – and he's getting some great help with the group from the legendary Johnny Harris! Titles include "Downtown", "Forget Him", "Music", "Where Are You Now", "Roundabout", and "Sugar & Spice". (Now Sound, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A searing set of southern rock from Ronnie Hawkins – already working here in a revivalist mode of sorts, with backing from the Dixie Flyers and a real blend of Atlantic and Capricorn-styled approaches to rock. Duane Allman and Donald Duck Dunn both sit in on the sessions, and the whole thing's got a relaxed, rootsy rock feel overall – Ronnie singing along with the Flyers on tunes that include "Red Rooster", "Ooby Dooby", "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles", "Drinkin Wine Spo-dee-o-dee", "Lonely Weekends", "Treasure Of Love", and "The Lady Came From Baltimore". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Lee Hazlewood albums ever – a mid 70s set recorded for Polydor in Sweden, and one that represents a really unique chapter in Lee's career overseas! At times, the album's got a very strong country feel – more so than even other Hazlewood records, which always had a bit of twang – yet at other points, the record moves into more familiar vocal work – recalling some of the modes that Lee had laid down on his best work of the late 60s. Not all songs are originals, but Lee definitely makes all the music his own – and the arrangements by David Whitaker and Lars Samuelson move around in good ways to match the spirit of Hazlewood's mood on each tune. This reissue features some really great notes – filled with the kind of personal recollections that make Lee's life seem like it was always a blast to live – and titles include "The Rising Star", "Come On Home To Me", "It's For My Dad", "Paris Bells", "Hello Saturday Morning", "Wait Till Next Year", "LA Lady", "I've Got To Be Moving", "Mother Country Music", and a great version of "It Was A Very Good Year". (Vocalists, Rock) CD

If this is reality, lead us onward – as the set is a mindblowing batch of trippy psych-funk from The Heliocentrics – even more offbeat and experimental than before, in ways that make the combo the true heirs to the legacy first begun by Stark Reality! The album's definitely funky at the core, but it's also filled with loads of amazing sounds – instruments tuned weirdly, played weirdly, and produced weirdly – so that over the heavy drums, there's often lots of freaky, fuzzy bits and tripped-out sounds – in ways that make the record feel like some lost acid trip outtakes from the Westbound studios of the early 70s – or like some obscure funk band that dropped acid at Andy Warhol's loft! The packaging offers up a visual example of what your ears will be going through when you tune into the music – and titles include "Mysterious Ways", "Collateral Damage", "Black Sky", "Calabash", "Path Of The Black Sun", "Mr Owusu I Presume", "Eastern Begena", and loads of cool interlude tracks too. (Deep Funk, Rock) CD

The classic debut from one of the weirdest concept groups of the 60s – a mime rock band brought together by producer Lew Futterman – who'd also worked on some killer funky jazzy sessions with Brother Jack McDuff! The style here is psychedelic pop through and through – and although the group didn't speak, they do sing (is that really mime?) – and work in a groovy sing-song blend of reeds and rockish rhythms, one that definitely has some of the same sharp changes and funky undercurrents you'd find in Futterman's jazz projects – although honed down here into much shorter Sunshine tunes! The album's a very unique little record – and oddly the group flourished for years. But somehow this first record has a charm that's really undeniable – and is maybe still their best effort ever. Titles include "White Winged Doves","Dream Of Tomorrow", "Pray For Rain", "How Does It Feel To Be Free", "I Ride To Nowhere", "Come & See Me", and "Jelly Jam". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from The Holy Modal Rounders – the group's fifth album, and a set that shows them moving into a slightly more subtle style than before – but still with plenty of their trademark touches intact! The work often has a sweetly folksy feel – one that conjures up the city-to-country modes of some of the Marin County bands of the time – with some sensitive lyrics and instrumentation, all produced beautifully down in Nashville by the legendary Bob Dorough – who was doing some surprising rock projects around this time. Despite the joke of the title, there actually is a timeless quality to this set – one that might almost make the record a good place to start if you've always been curious about the Rounders, but a bit intimidated by the fame of their earlier classics. Titles include "Black Bottom", "Spring OF 65", "Boobs A Lot", "Alligator Man", "City Blues", "The Whole World Oughta Go On Vacation", and "Melinda". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early 70s debut LP from a then 20 year old, Halifax-reared Catherine Howe – produced and arranged by US jazz pianist Bobby Scott in a mode that manages to feel lush and opulent while never belying Catherine's warmth, intimacy and maturity! The sound is warmly baroque, and Catherine's lovely vocals and evocative songwriting style is sheerly natural – recorded in a fairly stripped down setting and fleshed out with strings by the London Symphony Orchestra. The mix of intimacy and grandeur makes the record a bit of stylistic cousin to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter – we take our Drake seriously and we don't throw that comparison out lightly! Released by a doomed Reflection Records, which closed up shop the same year – the album was almost instantly relegated to obscurity, but has become the stuff of legend over the years – thanks to reissues, and interest in Howe's music from younger generations. Titles include "Up North", "On A Misty Morning", "Nothing More Than Strangers", "My Child", "The Innocence Of A Child", "It Comes With The Breezes" and more – plus the bonus demo "In The Hot Summer" – which led to the next phase of Catherine's career at RCA. (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A nicely focused little collection on the great Ferlin Husky – one that brings together some of his more upbeat tunes from the early generation of rock and roll – although the music is still pretty darn country overall! Or rather, hillbilly – said in the most respectful way of the time – as the cuts often have some bumping basslines that are clearly borrowed a bit from rockabilly, and have that wonderfully full Capitol Records production style of the late 50s – which can illuminate even a casual moment in a tune, and make Ferlin's wit and personality really come through in the vocals! The CD's one of the best collections we've ever seen to focus on this side of Husky's great, and overlooked talent – and titles include "I Feel Better All Over", "Slow Down Brother", "Cross Eyed Gal From The Ozarks", "Detour", "Prize Possession", "Black Sheep", "Eli The Camel", "Excuse Me Stranger", "Wang Dang Doo", "I Will", and "Muki Ruki". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

An incredibly ambitious record – despite the fact that it was recorded in a tiny home studio! Ithaca are basically the same group who recorded the Agincourt album a few years before – and like that one, this set is awash in some of the best elements from bigger progressive groups of the time – filtered down into much leaner, more personal levels of presentation. The tunes are all longish, and build with a gently layered blend of guitars, piano, organ, mandolin, flute, and recorder – plus some especially cool tape effects, which are used to electrify a few moments, and create some subtle sonic intensity. There's also a beautiful female voice on the record – floating through the tunes with an eerie feel – and the overall sound is almost a folksy take on Pink Floyd – with great acoustic and electric elements slowly simmering together. Titles include "Journey", "Feelings", "Dreams", "Times", and "Questions". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – and a well-done set of notes! CD

A really game-changing set from late 60s Japan – a group who work with a title in English, but a sound that was definitely helping to give the younger Japanese scene a vibe that's all its own! The Jacks definitely have some of the psychedelic touches you might guess from their image on the front, but they also carry forward older styles of Japanese vocal inflections – especially modes that you'd be more likely to hear from a singer with a melancholy vibe! That mix of vocals and fuzzy guitars is wonderful – especially as the lyrics often have this nearly heartbreaking feel, even if you can't understand the lyrics – underscored by electric guitar that seems informed by ways of playing the shamisen, and even percussion work on the drums that feels more earthy than most rock groups. The whole thing is a mindblowing masterpiece – and although lyrics are in Japanese, English titles for the tunes include "Love", "500 Miles From The Sky", "Love Generation", "Stop The Clock", "Vacant World", "Marianne", and "Gloomy Flower". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal session from 70s French synth maestro Jean-Michel Jarre – a great bit of electronics that was almost France's answer to Kraftwerk at the time! Jarre's style is a bit warmer and more focused on the melody – and the range of keyboards and synthesizers used create a rich tapestry of sound that almost has a soundtrack-y feel at the best moments. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Underrated later Airplane – issued at the time on their own Grunt label! Bark came out in '71, after the departure of co-founder Marty Balin, but despite that obviously important loss, there are some pretty cool positive changes in approach, even if it wasn't enough to keep the group flying for too much longer! For one, it's got some excellent violin by Papa John Creach on several tunes – and Slick and Kantor's vocals and songwriting are still in solid shape here. Titles include "When The Earth Moves Again", "Feel So Good", "Crazy Miranda", "Wild Turkey", "Law Man", "Think", "War Movie" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Jefferson Airplane flying high in the late 60s – and Crown Of Creation was both a creative and commercial triumph for the band – balancing the tripped out adventurousness of their earlier work, with a more focused approach! Front loaded with moodier, acoustic-based songs that build into heavier rock as the record plays on – with some really great use of sound effects for added drama here and there! Titles include "Lather", "In Time", "Star Track", "Chushingura", "If You Feel", "Ice Cream Phoenix", "The House At Pooniel Corners" and more. CD

Early genius from these Bay Area stalwarts – one of the greatest rock records of its time! Surrealistic Pillow is the second Jefferson Airplane album, but they took a number of huge creative leaps in the 8 months or so between their debut record and this one. This one is where they're joined by psych siren Grace Slick, but it's not just the line-up change that sets it apart. Surrealistic Pillow is a perfect title, as it's comforting and disorienting at the same time. It's also the magical confluence of wildly different spirits – with standout contributions by the entire band. Titles include the seminal "White Rabbit" – plus "Embryonic Journey", "3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds", "DCBA 25", "How Do You Feel", "Today", "She Has Funny Cars", and "Plastic Fantastic Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

Early genius from these Bay Area stalwarts – one of the greatest rock records of its time! Surrealistic Pillow is the second Jefferson Airplane album, but they took a number of huge creative leaps in the 8 months or so between their debut record and this one. This one is where they're joined by psych siren Grace Slick, but it's not just the line-up change that sets it apart. Surrealistic Pillow is a perfect title, as it's comforting and disorienting at the same time. It's also the magical confluence of wildly different spirits – with standout contributions by the entire band. Titles include the seminal "White Rabbit" – plus "Embryonic Journey", "3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds", "DCBA 25", "How Do You Feel", "Today", "She Has Funny Cars", and "Plastic Fantastic Lover". CD

One of the few solo albums by Eric Kaz – a singer-songwriter who'd worked with Blues Magoos and American Flyer, always staying on the fringes of the mainstream, which is certainly where this album ended up. The set's got an honest, earthy sort of feel – produced by later Blue Note emprasario Michael Cuscuna, with a kind of an "hipster goes easy" sort of feel. Titles include "Tonight The Sky's About To Cry", "When I'm Gone", "Someday My Love May Grow", "Cry Like A Rainstorm", and "Cruel Wind". CD