A record we'd never part with – and easily our favorite album ever from The Who! Quadrophenia represents the group at its peak from all perspectives – songwriting, performance, and even studio presence – as the album's got a sonic sensibility that few other albums of the time can ... read moreCD
An incredible album – and one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the late 60s! The Who recorded this one as a tribute to mainstream radio at the time – linking together some solid stand alone tunes with shorter, wittier tracks that were recorded as commercials for products that ... read moreCD
The first full-length set from The Who – a blistering batch of rough-edged tunes that run the gamut from bluesy soul to sweeter pop to guitar-driven grinders that show an incredible amount of power – even at this early point! The album's somewhat all over the map, but in a good way ... read moreCD
Wilco's post-millennium masterpiece! After years of adventurous sounds and increasingly poetic lyrics being subtly layered over their country rock roots, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was such a radical departure from their first couple albums that it was legendary upon arrival. What's so amazing about it ... read moreCD
The full early work of UK pop singer Kim Wilde – a big force on both sides of the Atlantic for a few short years, and part of a great wave of catchy girl-fronted music in the generation that also included Blondie and the Go-Gos! Kim's got her own special twist on the sound – one that ... read moreCD
Probably the best package of Hank's work we've ever seen! The set collects 42 of Hank's tracks from the late 40s and early 50s on 2 CDs, along with a thick book of biographical notes and photos. Pretty much all of the essential tunes are here, including "I Saw The Light", "Cold, ... (Folk/Country, Rock)read moreCD
(Includes a DVD with the feature length documentary: Honky Tonk Blues)
In Bizarroland, low fi pioneer and semi-unhinged cult icon Gary Wilson will put a record out on Stones Throw, and said comeback album will be reviewed in hip hop and DJ-centered publications and receive favorable notices. By Bizarroland, we mean the real world in 2004. The detached, minimalist ... read moreCD
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.)
One of the most mindblowing pop culture pastiches of the 60s – a record that's as absolutely mad as it is absolutely free – and proof that a whole new generation of musicians like Zappa were using the studio like an instrument itself! This is work that could have never existed away ... read moreCD
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