Mindblowing music from Robert Wyatt – never-heard demos, but cuts that are every bit as essential as his music in Soft Machine, and his early solo sides as well! Robert handles almost all the instrumentation here himself – except for one guest solo from Jimi Hendrix on bass, and some ... read moreCD
A really pivotal album from XTC – a set that still has the group able to deliver the kind of tight, catchy work that made their early singles so great – but one that also really has them expanding out into a group who really understand how to put together an album the right way too! It' ... read moreCD
Stomu Yamash'Ta & The Horizon —
Sunrise From West Sea ... CD King/We Want Sounds (UK), 1971. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
The Japanese scene of the 70s had plenty of experiments that blended contemporary and traditional instrumentation – but this album-length jam from percussionist Stomu Yamashta may well be one of the most striking from the time! You'll no doubt know Stomu from some of his later records that ... read moreCD
Akiko Yano —
To Ki Me Ki ... CD Midi/We Want Sounds (UK), 1978. New Copy ...
$16.9919.99
An early album from Japanese genius Akiko Yano, and one that features some key contributions from American jazz and fusion players – in a lineup that brings some surprisingly funky touches to the record too! Akiko's vocals and unique song structures still have all the charms you'll know from ... (Japanese, Rock)read moreCD
Thank John Hughes & Ferris Beuller for the fame of this one – the album that pushed Yello over the top with the perennial favorite "Oh Yeah" – a tune that's been used countless times over the years since that famous soundtrack, and which still resonates on TV commercials ... read moreCD
Unreleased live material from this legendary Japanese artist from the 70s – working here with his Lamp Manufacturing Factory group, which also includes lead guitar from Takashi Asayama! The recording is nice and intimate – a laidback set that shows the way that Daisaku Yoshino could ... (Japanese, Rock)read moreCD
A set that's not entirely funky, but maybe not that far off either – as the whole thing features unreleased material that was recorded by Zappa in the studio after Hot Rats – including some nicely jamming cuts that really have the group letting loose in maybe a more spontaneous, organic ... read moreCD
Frank Zappa —
Hot Rats ... CD Ryko, 1969. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
One of those records that should be an insane dark mess, given the look of the cover – but which turns out to be a surprisingly well put-together effort all the way through! Zappa does a great job of hiding behind his hair here – never acting with the pomp that a pop genius like him ... read moreCD
Wonderful stuff from Frank Zappa – a set that still has all the freak-out feel of the early years, yet which also shows a real maturation in his arrangement styles as well! The instrumentation is fantastic – not just great guitar from Frank, but heavy keyboards from George Duke, slide ... read moreCD
An early masterpiece from Frank Zappa – one of those records that looks like it's going to be a big ol' mess when you first see the cover – but which turns out to be a carefully calculated act of madness in the end! The Mothers have all their freeform freaky brilliance intact here ... read moreCD
(Out of print and in the original green tinted Ryko case.)
Frank Zappa at his mid 70s best! A bit of everything we love most about Frank Zappa records comes in to play on Zoot Allures. There's the oddball, yet accessible rock tunes that are as infectious as anything he ever composed – plus some bawdy, almost sleazy humor – and plenty of ... read moreCD
Frank Zappa's got some fantastic fusion touches on this sweet little set from the 70s – thanks to keyboards and a bit of vocals from George Duke, heavy drums from Chester Thompson, and even some brief help from Johnny Guitar Watson! The set's still got a very Zappa-esque feel, but it's clear ... read moreCD
(Out of print, in the original green tinted case which has a small cutout hole.)
Frank Zappa/Mothers Of Invention —
Uncle Meat ... CD Reprise/Ryko, 1969. Used 2CD ...
$9.99
An amazing movie in sound – supposedly music (and more) that was going to be used in a film project, issued to the public while Zappa was trying to raise money for production! The album's one of the most tripped-out studio efforts to date from the group – loads of overdubbing, and ... read moreCD
(Out of print early Ryko pressing, with a small cutout hole through the booklet and traycard artwork.)
Includes tracks by the Byrds, Mamas & the Papas, Beach Boys, Tommy James & the Shondells, the Knickerbockers, Lou Christie, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Capitols, and Los Bravos – 22 tracks total. CD
A really great look at a key year in British punk – a time when the music really broke open, and artists from a wide range of scenes began to make music in a punk rock vein! The set has way more variety than you might expect – not just the big names and new acts that were helping ... read moreCD
A host of raw rockers that were originally served up as 7" singles – all blasting out together with a tremendous amount of power – as if you're enjoying a night with choice cuts all stacked up in the jukebox pictured on the cover! The set's way more than any sort of oldies ... read moreCD
A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – ... (Funky Compilations, Rock)read moreCD
A truly incredible collection – even more wonderful than we might have guessed from the title and cover – and both of those are already pretty darn appealing! This package might well be the most comprehensive we've ever seen on the early days of punk in England – a package that ... read moreCD
A weird idea for a collection, but a great one too – a set that brings together a batch of train-themed tunes from the 60s, and uses the transportation narrative as a way to unlock ideas of personal freedom and social change! The "train" here isn't just a gimmick – and ... (Soul, Rock)read moreCD
A really groundbreaking collection – one that looks at the surprising rise of interest in spiritual ideas during the late 60s years of hippy-heavy rock music – served up here in a host of cuts by artists we never thought we'd see together in such a collection! These aren't obscure ... read moreCD
Music from Williamson Brothers And Curry, Memphis Jug Band, Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Lydia Mendoza, Carolina Tar Heels, Hattie Hart & The Memphis Jug Band, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Charley Patton, Joseph Falcon, Frank Hutchison, Jimmie Rodgers, and more. (Folk/Country, Rock)CD
A much-needed look at the production genius of Martin Rushent – a UK studio genius who started out in punk, then really helped the scene find new sounds and styles as the 80s moved in! Rushent is sometimes confused with the other great Martin of the period – producer Martin Hannett ... read moreCD
Music from Teddy Randazzo, Neil Sedaka, Rocky Hart, Dickey Lee, Tommy Roe, Ray Peterson, Jerry Keller, Buddy Knox, Carl Dobkins Jr., Wayne Newton, and more - 22 tracks in all. CD
(Out of print.)
Various —
Bear Family Rocks ... CD Bear Family (Germany), Late 1950s/Early 1960s. New Copy ...
$15.9920.99
A hot host of killer rockabilly, R&B, and other smoking styles from the late 50s and early 60s – all pulled together in tribute to the long-running Rocks series from Bear Family records! The package has 30 tracks in all, the the blend of artists is really great, and shows just how much ... read moreCD
One of the most unique country collections we've ever heard – in part because the artists aren't from Nashville, nor Bakersfield, and instead hail from the British scene of the 60s! The tunes here are all country-styled numbers – and some are country music classics – but they get ... (Folk/Country, Rock)read moreCD
Music from John Prine, Henry Kaiser, Beth Nielsen Chapman, David Ball, Grey DeLisle, Mavis Staples, Ollabelle, Roger McGuinn, Suzy Bogguss, Will Barrow, Ron Sexsmith, and more. (Folk/Country, Rock)CD
Music from Freddie Allen, Kingston Trio, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings, The Coasters, Bobby Hall And The Kings, Jody Miller, Dallas Frazier, The Love Affair, and more - 25 songs in all. (Soul, Rock)CD
Very cool sounds from the 60s scene in Italy – music that's clearly inspired by the best British female pop of the period, and also a bit by Detroit soul – with maybe just a touch of French "yeh yeh" modes thrown in for good measure! Yet because the sounds come from a scene ... read moreCD
Ten tracks from Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey, Kevin Welch, Widespread Panic, They Might Be Giants, Los Lobos, Indigo Girls, Steve Forbert, Pere Ubu, Subdudes, and John Trudell. CD
Ten tracks from Bruce Hornsby, Cracker, REM, Nanci Griffith, Me Phi Me, Jeffrey Gaines, Iris DeMent, Paul Brady, Barenaked Ladies, and Col Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit. CD
Tracks from Sheryl Crow, David Byrne, John Hiatt, Ben Folds Five, Natalie Merchant, Suzanne Vega, The Mavericks, Ani DiFranco, Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach, Shawn Colvin, Sinead O'Connor, Emmylou Harris, and Lou Reed. CD
A massive look at the huge legacy of North American punk in the late 70s – culled together from scenes in New York, Ohio, Boston, and LA – plus other surprising spots around the country – as artists were working separately, but together, to completely reinvent both the sound of ... read moreCD
An imagined soundtrack to a journey through London in the generation of Get Carter and Carnaby Street – and one that showcases not just the rich array of sounds and styles that were taking place in the city at the time, and in a way that highlights all sorts of different locations around town! ... read moreCD
Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby ... read moreCD
Music from Tweedy, Coldplay, The Hives, Cat Power, The Flaming Lips, Gnarls Barkley, Vampire Weekend, Wilco, Leighton Meester, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Black Keys, and more. (Soundtracks, Rock)CD
Numero Group does it again – and manages to pull together all the best bits from the crucially overlooked powerpop scene in the Land Of Lincoln – a wealth of wonderful groups from the 70s and 80s, all of whom recorded great indie sounds in Illinois! Sure, you've heard of Cheap Trick, ... read moreCD
Music from Thurston Moore, the Stone Roses, Teenage Fanclub, White Zombie, the Roots, Hardvark, Sonic Youth, Southern Culture On The Skids, and Elastica ... CD
Fantastic French femmes from the 60s – and a great illustration of the way that girl power really took over the sound of the Parisian scene at the time! These tunes have a punch that few American or British tracks of the period could ever hope to match – a way of staying sweet, yet ... (French, Rock)read moreCD
A wonderful compilation of Lee Hazlewood songs performed by others in the 60s – magnificent pulp pop, girl groups, starlets, rockers and more covering prime era Lee tunes – songs about lovers, fools, rebels and heartbroken examples of all of the above! There's little we can add to the ... read moreCD
The "nuggets" in the title is very well placed here – as all the cuts here have every bit as much freak and fuzz as the American garage and pre-punk work chronicled famously on the lengendary Nuggets series! Yet these tracks are all even more obscure, and all come from African ... (Global Grooves, Rock)read moreCD
There's a 4AD-styled image on the cover – and the set looks at a moment in late 80s music when things were nicely swirling together – when production was getting a bit more layered and sophisticated from a few years before – yet not in a way that was overly polished or commercial! ... read moreCD
Music from Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, the Hondells, Dionne Warwick, the Searchers, the Ventures, the Marvelettes, the Drifters, Bobby Bland, and more – 22 tracks in all. CD
Music from The Honeycombs, The Supremes, The Dixie Cups, Don Covay, The Murmaids, Roy Orbison, The Kingsmen, The Shangri-Las, The Impressions, Maxine Brown, The Beach Boys, The Searchers, The Reflections, and more - 22 tracks in all. CD
Music from The Byrds, The Yardbirds, Wilson Pickett, The Miracles, The Beau Brummels, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs, Billy Joe Royal, The Beach Boys, Barbara Lewis, and more - 22 songs in all. CD
Music from James Brown, The Zombies, Lee Dorsey, Cher, Peter And Gordon, Jackie DeShannon, Cannibal And The Headhunters, Gary Lewis And The Playboys, The Larks, The Vogues, The Kinks,and more - 23 songs in all. CD
Music fromBarry McGuire, Fontella Bass, Len Barry, The Beach Boys, The Beau Brummels, The Miracles, The Kinks, Martha And The Vandellas, Roy Head, The Ad Libs, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and more - 22 songs in all. CD
Music from The Beach Boys, The Temptations, The Young Rascals, The Standells, Donovan, Aaron Neville, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Four Tops, The Bobby Fuller Four, Percy Sledge, and more - 22 songs in all. CD
The end of the 80s saw a huge new shift in music on the UK scene – a moment when indie rock and club music collided – and guitar-based work was back on the dancefloors in a really big way! Part of the shift came from years of UK interest in house, electro, and other American styles ... read moreCD
Includes 30 tracks by the Oddballs, Max Lipscomb, Lonnie Miley, Kenneth Trent, Charlee Maybee, Lawrence Flippo & the Futuras, the Tempests, Del Swade, and Cuddles C. Newsome. CD
Key club cuts from the second generation of the industrial scene – that 80s moment when the music moved from the noisy, experimental territory of the Throbbing Gristle underground to a more mainstream world where the previous sonic breakthroughs were mixed with beats and lyrics to create some ... read moreCD
A great compilation of LA punk! 14 tracks from The Alley Cats, Eyes, X, The Weirdos, Black Randy, The Bags, Rhino 39, Avengers, Randoms, and The Dils. CD
A very cool little set – maybe not the deepest dive into the decade of the 70s, in that the package isn't full of unissued tracks or super-rare singles – but it does represent a great look at the decade that goes way past the hits, and much farther than the charts – including the ... read moreCD
Serving time has never been this groovy – thanks to a whole host of prison-themed tunes from the postwar years, presented here in a package that's especially strong on blues and R&B! Sure, most folks know "Folsom Prison Blues", but this package digs much deeper to come up with ... read moreCD
Classic tracks from one of the greatest songwriting teams in soul music during the 60s and 70s – the legendary trio of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland – two of whom started out as soul singers, and all three of whom left behind a huge legacy on the Detroit scene! And ... (Soul, Rock)read moreCD
Music from Pezband, Artful Dodger, Earthquake, Piper, The Nerves, Flamin' Groovies, Chris Bell, Cheap Trick, Chris Stamey, Tommy Hoehn, The Scruffs, The Names, and more. CD
19 tracks from ther Cryers, the Rubinoos, Gary Valentine, Prix, 20/20, Shoes, the Beat, the Pop, Pearl Harbor & the Explosions, Off Broadway USA, the Know & more. CD
Nice covers from Brix E Smith, Hypnolovewheel, Spirit Of The West, Windwalker, Young Fresh Fellows, Papa Sprain & Butterfly Child, Sarah McLachlan, Julian Jones, The Posies, Black Sox, and more. CD
A really great take on the sort of territory that's usually covered in Cramps-related compilations like this – a set of tracks that still trawls through the weird and wooly world of the 7" single in the late 50s and early 60s, but one that does so here with a special ear towards British ... read moreCD
Includes music Butterscotch Tuna, Wet, Wad, Pocket Fisherman, the Horsies, Joan of Arkensas, Eleanor Plunge, Orange Mothers, and Pancakes With Cheese. CD
A hip little set that's as groovy as its cover – a whole batch of cat-themed tunes from the 50s and 60s, most of them in a hip jazzy sort of style! Things are never too kitty-creepy – as they are with that lady down the street who owns way too many cats – and instead, most of the ... (Funky Compilations, Rock)read moreCD
Includes songs by The Corvairs, The Song Spinners, The Ivyliers, Eddie Jacobs, Sonny Hines, Gary Criss, Julie & The Desires, The Del-Tones and more – 24 tracks total. (Soul, Rock)CD
The deepest of the deep from the American scene at the start of the 70s – groups so hip they weren't quite soul, weren't quite rock – and instead kind of a funky hybrid of both! After opening our ears to countless underground sounds from around the globe, the Now Again label turn back ... (Funky Compilations, Rock)read moreCD
Music from OK Go, David Byrne, Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab For Cutie, Blink-182, Mike Doughty, Ben Kweller, Sleater-Kinney, REM, Bright Eyes,The Long Winters, and more. CD
A huge dip into the world of all-girl bands from the 60s – not sweet-voiced, teeny-bopping pop acts – and instead a host of raw, garagey groups that come across with a heck of a lot of power! There's some folks out there who might tag a famous 70s group or two as the first female rock ... read moreCD
A very cool package – one that's shaped like a 7" single, includes a big booklet of notes, and serves up 70 killer tracks from the 70s! The collection was put together in the UK, and has a nicely different take on the decade than American compilations – as it already does a good ... read moreCD
Music from Andy Summers, Ralph Towner, Vernon Reid, Laurence Juber, David Cullen, Pierre Bensusan, Alex de Grassi, Bill Frisell, Henry Kaiser, Gary Lucas, Michael Manring, Tony McManus, Arlen Roth, David Russell and more. CD
Music from Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Duane Eddy, Dale Hawkins , Les Paul & Mary Ford, Billy Mure's Supersonic Guitars, the Virtues, Eddie Cochran, Link Wray & His Ray Men, Carl Perkins & more. CD
Music from Crabby Appleton, the Buoys, the Pipkins, Lulu, John Kongos, Brewer & Shipley, Five Man Electrical Band, Bobby Russell, Stampeders, Lighthouse, and Gayle McCormick. CD
Music from Linda Laurie, Gary Stites, Lathy Linden, Bobby Peterson Quintet, Steve Lawrence, Paul Chaplain, Lolita, Ronnie Love, Ray Peterson, James MacArthur, and more – 27 songs in all. CD