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A really unique album from Yugoslavian group Angel's Breath – one recorded in Brazil, which might come as no surprise, given that one of the members of the duo is Mitar Subotic Suba – who you'll also know from his groundbreaking album Sao Paulo Confessions! Suba got his start in Serbia, but was crucial in the Brazilian advances in the 90s before his too-early death in 1999 – and the record's definitely got some of the same appeal as the best music of the scene from Chico Science or Arnaldo Antunes – especially in the way it uses offbeat guitar lines, crispy electronics, and unusual rhythms next to lyrics that often feel as poetically experimental as they are tuneful! The whole thing's very difficult to describe, but that really gives it a hell of a lot of charm – and if it were not for the turmoil in Yugoslavia at the time, the set might have seen bigger global attention from the same cultural scene who were embracing Brazilian experiments of the period. Titles include "Madalena", "Velvet", "Caura", "Assassino", "Aplauzi", "40 Seconds Of Love", and "Metak". LP, Vinyl record album

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Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

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A beautiful little album of sweet late 60s easy – originally recorded by British producer Mike Hurts for Phase 4 at the end of the 60s, but never issued until now! The set has a really warm and glowing sort of groove – one that's a fair bit more dynamic than most of the rest of the Phase 4 sets, with evocative qualities that almost push the record more into the soundtrack side of the spectrum. Hurst's arrangements of the tunes are often quite driving, but never too dramatic – and although the set's an orchestral one, there's a great sense of pacing, timing, and rhythm to all the numbers. Titles include "April Fools", "Cool", "Sound Of Silence", "Wednesday's Child", "Good Vibrations", "Image", "Mission Impossible", and "Theme From The Wild Ones". (Now Sound, Rock) CD

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Includes "When Smokey Sings", "The Night You Murdered Love", and "Ark Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

A very different album than usual from Jan Akkerman – but in a really nice way! The album's not nearly as guitar-heavy and rock-leaning as some of Jan's other sets from the 70s – and has a bubbling sort of soul-based finish, one that's arranged by Akkerman with some help from Mike Gibbs – and which almost has a funky dancefloor appeal at times! The jazz component of the record is still relatively strong, in a tripped-out funky fusion way – but there's enough of a consistent pulse to the album to really keep things on track nicely! Includes the spacey "Pavane", which has great keyboards from Joachim Kuhn, and the nicely breaking "Streetwalker" – plus the cuts "Angel Watch", "Crackers", "Skydancer", "Floatin", and "Gate To Europe". (Jazz, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Jan Akkerman did plenty of unusual projects in the 70s, and this album may well be the best of them – an outing with vocalist Kaz Lux, whose unique phrasing really helps give the music a lot of focus! Akkerman's still hanging nicely between rock, funk, and jazz – but the use of vocals means that some of his guitar lines are a bit more spacious in ways that we really love, especially when they mix in these cool cosmic passages with the MPS-like keyboards of Jasper Van't Hof. The album's hardly a straight fusion album, but it's also not really a rock one either – more like a fusion set with vocals in all the right places – on titles that include "Guardian Angel", "Tranquilizer", "Can't Fake A Good Time", "Naked Actress", "Wings Of Strings", and "Strindberg". (Jazz, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A weird set of sitar and bongos backed sing-speak about gurus, devil gods, leprechauns, elves, opium, the wind, hippie boys and other oddball psychedelia enhanced storytelling from Kali,The Gypsy Star Child! We don't know a thing about Kali – she has a cute, girly-girl, Anytown, USA voice, but the hippie fantasy, pseudo spiritual storytelling is weird, yet genuinely committed – with droning, Eastern-tinged psych backdrops. Includes "A Game Called Who Am I", "Cosmic Remembrance", "A Cosmic Telephone Call", "From The Angel Liesle & The Buddha" and "How Can I Tell My Guru?" LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal record in the career of the great Matt Berry – a set that firmly established him as a musical act away from his work on the screen – not his first album, but one that really seems to have Berry finding his very unique voice! A number of the tunes have a slight nod to spookiness – an element that maybe prefaces Berry's role in What We Do In The Shadows – and the instrumentation has more Wicker Man-like elements at times than some of the mod-styled backings on other of Matt's records – although you can definitely hear his love of vintage keyboards on the album too. Tracks include "Vintage Dance", "Farewell Summer Sun", "Bonfire", "The Signs", "Solstice", "Wolf Quartet", "Fallen Angel", and "October Sun". This edition features all sorts of great tracks recorded at the original sessions – almost doubling the size of the record with cuts that include "Fire Chant", "Food Chain Blues", "October", "Sea Chant", "Honky Knock", "Venison Sketch", "The Dawn", and "To The Floor". CD

One of the earliest albums ever from Harold Budd – an artist who'd later rise to great ambient fame in the following decade, but who's maybe at his most sophisticated here! The set has all the hallmark of the new musical experiments that Brian Eno was showcasing on his Obscure Music label – where the set first appeared – and Budd plays electric piano with a very cool set of contemporary musicians – a lineup that includes alto sax from Marion Brown, harp from Maggie Thomas, marimba from Michael Nyman and John White, and glockenspiel from Gavin Bryars. Brian Eno produced the record, and vocalizes slightly – and tracks have a long-spun, almost spiritual vibe – on titles that include "Bismallahi Rrahmani Rrahmani", "Two Songs (Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord/Butterfly Sunday)", "Madrigals Of The Rose Angel", and "Juno". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of duets between Gene Clark and Carla Olson – with titles that include "Fair & Tender Ladies", "The Drifter", "Gypsy Rider", "De Gato", "Every Angel In Heaven", "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home", and "I'm Your Toy". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic posthumous collection of work from this raw early rocker – with cuts that include "Nervous Breakdown", "Lonely", "Twenty Flight Rock", "Weekend", "Boll Weevil", "Love Again", "Milk Cow Blues", and "Little Angel". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that brings together earlier work from this hip Japanese duo, including some unreleased tracks – work that's definitely in the farther spectrum of some of the more creative work from that scene at the start of the 80s! Beats and sound samples come together with ease – sometimes at a level that's warm and cozy, sometimes more noisy and all-out – and the vocals on the tracks are often processed right down into the mix, creating a very electric experience overall! Titles include "De To Re Mi", "After The Intelligence", "Trick Or Treat", "Night Paradise", "Angel", "Love Season", and previously unreleased versions of "Tamare Kurawanka", "Kitsune", "Heartbeat", and "We Are Only Dancin". CD

A really mindblowing collaboration between two of the most spiritual mainstream musicians of the early 70s – legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and spiritual jazz guru Alice Coltrane! The set came at a time when Santana was reaching for much deeper ideas in both his music and his personal life – and Coltrane turned out to be a perfect creative fit, as she'd already been down the path with her own music for years – and helps Carlos here find an incredible setting that really lets his new vision take flight! The album's a very collaborative effort – with Alice on piano, organ, and harp – but Coltrane also brings in some fuller arrangements on half of the tracks – really opening things up, alongside other musicians who include Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass, Jules Broussard on soprano sax and flute, and Tom Coster on both acoustic and electric piano. The strings are sublime – as heavenly as on Alice's own records – and titles include "Angel Of Air Angel Of Water", "Bliss The Eternal Now", "Angel Of Sunlight", "Illuminations", and "Guru Sri Chinmoy Aphorism". (Jazz, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A really mindblowing collaboration between two of the most spiritual mainstream musicians of the early 70s – legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and spiritual jazz guru Alice Coltrane! The set came at a time when Santana was reaching for much deeper ideas in both his music and his personal life – and Coltrane turned out to be a perfect creative fit, as she'd already been down the path with her own music for years – and helps Carlos here find an incredible setting that really lets his new vision take flight! The album's a very collaborative effort – with Alice on piano, organ, and harp – but Coltrane also brings in some fuller arrangements on half of the tracks – really opening things up, alongside other musicians who include Jack DeJohnette on drums, Dave Holland on bass, Jules Broussard on soprano sax and flute, and Tom Coster on both acoustic and electric piano. The strings are sublime – as heavenly as on Alice's own records – and titles include "Angel Of Air Angel Of Water", "Bliss The Eternal Now", "Angel Of Sunlight", "Illuminations", and "Guru Sri Chinmoy Aphorism". (Jazz, Rock) CD

A trio of pop talents you'd normally find on TV – Paul Peterson and Shelly Fabares from the Donna Reed Show, plus James Darren, who'd also done some work for the same program as well – brought together here in a classic 60s album that allows each of their stars to shine brightly on their own! Every singer gets a set of their own tracks for the record – Fabares in the same style as her excellent records with producer/arranger Stu Phillips, Peterson at a level that's maybe a bit more throwaway kid pop, and Darren with a surprisingly strong presence that belies his record as the strongest recording star of the three. Titles include "She Can't Find Her Keys", "Keep Your Love Locked", and "Lollipops & Roses" by Paul Peterson; "Johnny Angel", "I'm Grlwoing Up", and "Johnny Loves Me" by Shelly Fabares; and "Her Royal Majesty", "Goodbye Cruel World", and "Conscience" by James Darren. LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of pop talents you'd normally find on TV – Paul Peterson and Shelly Fabares from the Donna Reed Show, plus James Darren, who'd also done some work for the same program as well – brought together here in a classic 60s album that allows each of their stars to shine brightly on their own! Every singer gets a set of their own tracks for the record – Fabares in the same style as her excellent records with producer/arranger Stu Phillips, Peterson at a level that's maybe a bit more throwaway kid pop, and Darren with a surprisingly strong presence that belies his record as the strongest recording star of the three. Titles include "She Can't Find Her Keys", "Keep Your Love Locked", and "Lollipops & Roses" by Paul Peterson; "Johnny Angel", "I'm Grlwoing Up", and "Johnny Loves Me" by Shelly Fabares; and "Her Royal Majesty", "Goodbye Cruel World", and "Conscience" by James Darren. CD

An understated masterpiece of songwriting strengths from Mark Knopfler – recorded with an equally understated vibe at Compass Point – with titles that include "Portobello Belle", "Lady Writer", "Angel Of Mercy", "Once Upon A Time In The West", "News", "Where Do You Think You're Going", "Follow Me Home", "Single Handed Sailor", and "Communique". LP, Vinyl record album

A different sound than the 60s, sure – but you can't beat Donovan, no matter what the setting. Mickie Most produced, and all songs are Donovan originals – including "Maya's Dance", "Local Boy Chops Wood", "Astral Angel", "Dare To Be Different", and "Sing My Song. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – and the first album in Donovan's legendary run with producer Mickie Most! The sound here is light years away from the heavy Dylan of Donovan's first recordings – and is steeped in eastern influences that sparkle in both the songwriting and arrangements – and which can be most strongly heard in the album's trademark use of tablas and electric sitar! Donovan's vocals are completely sublime, too – done in that raspy, almost lispy style that brings out all the best edges in his songwriting – and the lyrics of the tunes are a mind-expanding array of themes that really pushed the boundaries of 60s pop. Titles include the sublime classic "Sunshine Superman", plus "Bert's Blues", "The Fat Angel", "The Trip", "Celeste", "Three Kingfishers", and the funky funky "Season Of The Witch"! CD

One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – and the first album in Donovan's legendary run with producer Mickie Most! The sound here is light years away from the heavy Dylan of Donovan's first recordings – and is steeped in eastern influences that sparkle in both the songwriting and arrangements – and which can be most strongly heard in the album's trademark use of tablas and electric sitar! Donovan's vocals are completely sublime, too – done in that raspy, almost lispy style that brings out all the best edges in his songwriting – and the lyrics of the tunes are a mind-expanding array of themes that really pushed the boundaries of 60s pop. Titles include the sublime classic "Sunshine Superman", plus "Bert's Blues", "The Fat Angel", "The Trip", "Celeste", "Three Kingfishers", and the funky funky "Season Of The Witch"! LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in Dylan's so-called "Christian Period", but it's not really the uber-dramatic departure from the "old" Dylan that it was treated as at the time – gospel soul backing vocals and testifying lyricism for sure, but it sounds more like gospel has come to Dylan than it sounds like Dylan has "gone gospel". Slow Train Coming has a focused approach, ala Blood On The Tracks, even if this train doesn't come close to crossing over onto those particular tracks – and the return to a leaner, more focused vibe is welcome one. It's got stellar studio players in the mix, and producer Jerry Wexler's production touches on a soul sound, but smartly hews to Dylan's vocal style and lyrical focus. Dylan's high bar for a masterpiece given his trailblazing past didn't give this record or the following couple much a chance to succeed on their own merits back in the day, but all these years later...wow, this is really good, passionate stuff. Includes "Gotta Serve Somebody", "Precious Angel", "I Believe In You", "Slow Trait", "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking", "Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)", "When You Gonna Wake Up", "Man Gave Name To All The Animals", "When He Returns". (Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

Late 60s psych from Texas – the self-titled set from Fever Tree – which finds group adapting some outside penned tunes of the day nicely into the good natured psychedelic groove. The arrangements are what make the group special, rolling from soaring pop sounds into harder edged TX school of psychedelia, and back again. Instrumentation includes the kind of core rock sound with keys, harp, flute, cello and more – and the record even sports some string & horn arrangements by David Angel and Gene Page! Titles include "Imitation Situation 1", "Where Do You Go?", "Return Of The Native", "Man Who Paints The Pictures", "The Sun Also Rises", "Unlock My Door", "Come With Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The rare folksy psychedelic solo set from Tommy Flanders of the Blues Project – a fairly stripped down, acoustic guitar and misty-eyed vocals led set of tunes. Moonstone is fairly straight forward singer songwriter record in some ways, with lovelorn lyrics and laidback arrangements – but it has flashes of out there mysticism. The LA session players are impeccable, too! Titles include "Since You've Been Gone", "Blue Water Blue", "Morning Misty Eyes", "Purple And Blue", "Moonstone", "By The Mailbox We Stood", "Angel Of Mercy", "Boston Girls", "Sleepin'", "She's My Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album