A very cool quartet from the British jazz/rock years – but one who were a lot more jazz-based than some of their contemporaries! These guys are all instrumental, and although a number of their tunes are familiar rock standards from the late 60s, they don't play them like rock tunes at all – and instead used them as freewheeling vehicles for solo exploration –r eally stretching out in a mix of acoustic and electric modes that's mighty nice! Leader Mike McNaught plays both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – and the group also features Daryl Runswick on bass, Mike Travis on drums and percussion, and Jim Philip on some especially great flute, tenor, and soprano sax – the last of which really soars up beautifully next to the Rhodes! The set is maybe a bit in the mode of some of John Klemmer's electrified work from the same time, but also more British too – although not without a fair degree of soul on the keyboards. Titles include "Dreams", "Rosecrans Boulevard", "Something", "Dear Prudence", and "Childhood Room". (Jazz, Rock) CD

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... LP, Vinyl record album

The start of a whole new chapter – with "Shoot To Thrill", "Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution", "Hells Bells", "Back In Black", and "Given The Dog A Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

Filled with classics – including "Girls Got Rhythm", "Highway To Hell", "Shot Down In Flames", "Touch Too Much", and "If You Want Blood". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

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Titles include "When The Heat Hits The Street", "Hold Me", "Maybe Tonight", "Spanish Eddie", "When I'm With You", "Tenderness", and "Sanctuary". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A live classic from CSNY – with long versions of "Southern Man", "Long Time Gone", "Ohio", "Carry On", "Triad", "Chicago", and "Love The One You're With". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Carry On", "Teach Your Children", "Helpless", "Almost Cut My Hair", and "Country Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of all this famous harmony trio/quartet were able to achieve during their first few years – a masterful reworking of vocal group modes from earlier rock and soul styles, taken forward towards the 70s with a spirit that's still as powerful today as it was back at the time! These tracks saw so much circulation over the years, it's easy to forget how revolutionary they were – especially when coming from artists who had roots in more familiar rock modes, but who somehow really seemed to rise together in the company of each other. Titles include "Deja Vu", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Ohio", "Teach Your Children", "Our House", "Helplessly Hoping", "Wooden Ships", "Woodstock", "Helpless", "Guinnevere", and "Find The Cost Of Freedom". LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A later masterpiece from the duo of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt – maybe their strongest record since their early years – and a great way of allowing their always-strong songwriting a chance to find a new sort of groove! In this case, the music is both a step back to the more acoustic colors of their first record or two – and a nod to some of the new rhythms that were coming from the London scene – used here in very subtle but brilliant ways by Watt, who'd soon go on to make some of his own creative sounds in new formats. As always, the vocals of Thorn are breathtaking and heartbreaking in ways we can hardly begin to describe – on titles that include "We Walk The Same Line", "I Don't Understand Anything", "Troubled Mind", "Rollercoaster", "Get Me", "25th December", and "Missing". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little collection of great tracks by the legendary Clovers – a group whose sound was a key force in transforming Atlantic Records during the 50s! The Clovers were an incredibly tight, incredibly consistent quintet – possessed of a rich talent for both sweet ballads and raspier groovers, in a way that helped push vocal harmonies much more strongly into an R&B mode than some of the efforts of groups who came before. This set features 14 of the group's best numbers from their early years with Atlantic – including the familiar hits, as well as some nice, lesser-known tracks that show just how strong The Clovers sound was overall. Titles include "Devil Or Angel", "Ting A Ling", "Blue Velvet", "Fool Fool Fool", "One Mint Julep", "Don't You Know I Love You", "Love Potion Number Nine", "Lovey Dovey", "Your Cash Ain't Nothin But Trash", "Hey Miss Fanny", and "Down In The Alley". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first full albums recorded by the legendary John Fahey – originally issued on the tiny Riverboat label, then circulated more widely on his own Takoma imprint! The set offers a second chapter of the sort of work on Fahey's Blind Joe Death debut – but the sound is already light years ahead of the first record – with a more developed sense of tone, timing, and phrasing – at a level that shows a tremendous amount of growth by the musician in just a few years! Even in the mid-60s, Fahey's already showing a lot of the unique power that would continue to awe generations for decades to come – and the tracks here unfurl an incredible approach to acoustic guitar that's neither folk, nor blues, nor just about anything else – just purely Fahey-esque. Titles include "Orinda Moraga", "Beautiful Linda Getchell", "On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean", "101 Is A Hard Road To Travel", "How Green Was My Valley", and "Poor Boy". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from a group who kept on growing strongly over the relatively short span of their career – maybe under-sung heroes at the time of their release, at least on this side of the Atlantic – but one of the few truly classic groups we can think of from the decade, at least with a recorded legacy this strong! The songs are as creatively distinct as anything every put forth by Morrissey and The Smiths – but in a very unique sort of way, with the guidance of mainman Lawrence firmly guiding the sound with his vocals amidst the wonderful songswirl of Hammond organ and guitar. Titles include "Apple Boutique", "Ivory Past", "Until The Fools Get Wise", "Bitter End", "How Spook Got Her Man", "Christopher Street", "Under A Pale Light", and "Don't Die On My Doorstep". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Three full albums of romping organ work from Wynder K Frog – plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Sunshine Superfrog – a record with a Donovan reference in the title, but a much more mod set overall – thanks to searing Hammond work from organist Mick Weaver, who was maybe one of the hippest London cats on his instrument at the time! The tunes draw equally from the Hammond soul jazz of artists like Jimmy Smith or Jimmy McGriff, and from the soul instrumental style of the time – particularly the grooves of Stax and Atlantic Records – and the deft work on the keys of the organ show that you hardly need a singer to make these records groove. Titles include "I Feel So Bad", "Blues For A Frog", "Hold On I'm Coming", "Incense", "Feel It", "Dancin Pain", "Mercy", and "Somebody Help Me". Next is Out Of The Frying Pan – a lost Hammond classic from organist Mick Weaver, who famously worked with the group Traffic! This set's a lot different than the work he did in that band, though – as the album's all instrumental, and has a quick-stepping, all-soul sound that's a lot like the best Jimmy McGriff organ jazz albums on Sue Records – mixed with maybe a bit of the mod sound of London at the time! Tunes are tight and short, but pack plenty of punch – and the album also features great work on saxes from Chris Mercer and Dick Heckstall-Smith. Titles include "Green Door", "Bad Eye", "Willie & The Hand Jive", "House That Jack Built", "Gasoline Alley", and "Harpsichord Shuffle". Last up is Into The Fire – which has the group really opening up, laying down some wonderfully jazzy and funky instrumentals with a fuzzy Hammond sound that's really great! Although the set was recorded in the UK, the best cuts have a soulful crossover sound that feels like it should have been recorded during one of the Cadet Concept sessions in Chicago at the same time. One cut has vocals, but the best are the instrumentals – like "Into the Fire", "Howl In Wolf's Clothing", "Hot Salt Beef", "Cool Hand Stanley", and "Why Am I Treated So Bad". The set features lots of bonus tracks from singles and other sources – including "Zooming", "Green Door", "I'm A Man", "Henry's Panter", "Baldy", "Dancing Frog (stereo)", "Happy Jack", "Funky Broadway", "I'll Go Crazy", "A Memory Of Bruce", "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", and "We Can Work It Out". CD

Gryphon look like real Renaissance men on the cover – and they often sound that way, too – given that some of their instrumentation includes older woodwind instruments like the bassoon and crumhorn! Yet as the group grew, they also quickly picked up more electric elements too – yet still found a way to use these in modes that evoked a much more ancient face of England – in a style that was quite different from the straighter folk of the generation that included Pentangle or Fairport Convention, with a flavor that's maybe a bit like that of the great Jethro Tull album Songs From The Wood – although some of the later work also brings in some surprisingly strong progressive elements. This 2CD set covers the best period of the group's career – early 70s records for Transatlantic, including work from the albums Raindance, Red Queen To Gryphon Three, Gryphon, and Midnight Mushrumps – 30 track that include "Lament", "Second Spasm", "The Astrologer", "Tea Wrecks", "Juniper Suite", "Kemp's Jig", "Touch & Go", "Pastime With Good Company", "The Devil & The Farmer's Wife", "Don't Say Go", "Wallbanger", and "Down The Dog". CD

Continuing genius from the great Bert Jansch – the singer/songwriter's second album, and one of his most sublime records ever! The album's got an up-close, personal vibe – mostly just Bert's vocals and acoustic guitar, a bit like the earliest albums by Bob Dylan – and like Dylan, Jansch has this approach that's completely his own – very much schooled in older 20th century traditions, but focused on finding a new way forward – with a mix of melodic and harmonic elements that flow from his guitar with effortless ease, and are matched by some beautifully pointed vocals by a singer who sounds unlike anyone else. At times, the tunes have a quality that's almost hypnotic – a bit of a John Fahey vibe in the progressions, but a bit warmer – and titles include "Tinker's Blues", "It Don't Bother Me", "Harvest Your Thoughts Of Love", "Lucky Thirteen", "As The Day Grows Longer Now", "So Long", "900 Miles", and "Ring A Ding Blues". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic group harmony from The Marcels – a group who scored big with the title track of this solid set, but who also have plenty more to offer! The quintet have a style of vocal interplay that was one of the most dynamic of the time – not gimmicky, but really always in search of new combinations, new inventions, and new ways of getting a lyric across – as you'll know from the hit. But they've also got a soulful cohesiveness that's really underscored by the album's great Bert Keyes arrangements – not entirely an Atlantic Records mode, but not far off either. Titles include the classic "Blue Moon", plus "Most Of All", "Teeter Totter Love", "Crazy Bells", "A Fallen Tear", "Goodbye To Love", and "Sweet Was The Wine". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

British blues meets LA's Laurel Canyon – a trans-Atlantic (or is it Pacific?) blend that makes for one of John Mayall's most compelling albums of the 60s! The album was recorded after the breakup of the Blues Breakers group – but it still features strong support from Mick Taylor on guitar – a key factor in the previous combo's sound, given almost even more space here to stand out front with Mayall. Other instrumentation includes bass and drums, plus a bit of tablas – and the overall approach is a lot more spare than other Blues Breakers sets – still bluesy in approach, but with some definite freer-thinking moments too, picked up from a trip to Laurel Canyon that was Mayall's inspiration for the set. Titles include "Walking On Sunset", "Vacation", "Ready To Ride", "Medicine Man", "Miss James", "The Bear", "First Time Alone", and "Fly Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from Ralph McTell – a British singer with roots in folk music, but an artist who was already finding his own territory by the time of these albums! Unlike other British folkies of the time, who seemed to be heading towards more ancient territory, and were often trying to sound even more old school in their phrasing – McTell was always trying out something new, and moving more towards some of the singer/songwriter territory that a few key American contemporaries were trying at the time. The set brings together three full albums by Ralph for the Transatlantic label – Eight Frames A Second, Spiral Staircase, and My Side Of Your Window – plus the Ralph McTell Revisited album, which features reworked material, as well as some bonus tracks too – all a fantastic summation of Ralph's early years – a time when he was maybe at his best. 51 tracks in all – with titles that include "Nanna's Song", "The Fairground", "Last Train & Ride", "Michael In The Garden", "Clown", "Girl On A Bicycle", "Father Forgive Them", "Are You Receiving Me", "Bright & Beautiful Things", "Daddy's Here", "Terminus", "Suzanne", "Blues In More Than 12 Bars", and "Kew Gardens". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

Gerry Rafferty is best known on our shores for one big crossover AOR hit of the late 70s – but overseas in England, his career started much earlier – as you'll hear in this great set of material! The first CD in the set features two albums recorded under the name of The Humblebums – amazing early work from Gerry Rafferty – material that's completely different than his late 70s material that crossed the Atlantic in a bigger way – as the record's got this cool complexity that's not unlike some of the best folk rock experiments that were taking place at the time on Island Records! There's elements of guitar work and songphrasing that maybe also echo the generation of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and even John Martyn – but the songs also have some baroque orchestrations at some points, and fuller instrumentation at others – never fully commercial, and always with an acoustic core – and already-wonderful vocals from Raffterty. Titles include "Look Over The Hill & Far Away", "Steamboat Row", "Half A Mile", "My Singing Bird", "Patrick", and "Her Father Don't Lie". Next is the Gerry Rafferty album Can I Have My Money Back – a record that got circulated globally a lot more in the late 70s, to cash in on his rising fame – but which really takes off in a strong way that places him as a key talent in the folk/rock universe of the UK Transatlantic label at the start of the 70s! The songs are tighter and catchier than the acid folk generation – in part because Gerry's vocals are already completely charming, and produced with this compression that hints at Brit modes to come on mid 70s hits – but a lot more down to earth overall. Titles include "New Street Blues", "Mr Universe", "Mary Skeffington", "Make You Break You", "One Drink Down", and "Half A Chance". 2CD set features great notes, and 14 more bonus tracks! CD

A treasure trove of greatness from British folk rock legend John Renbourn – all of his late 60s solo work, done before moving on to greater fame in Pentangle! First up is There You Go – a rare one from singer Dorris Henderson and future Pentangle founder John Rensbourn! Florida born, LA raised singer Dorris Henderson moved to London in 1965 and was soon singing London's folk clubs, where she met Rensbourn. A solid mix of traditionals and then contemporary folk songs – stripped down and honest takes on "Saly Free And Easy", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "Mr Tamborine Man", "Going To Memphis", Something Lonesome", "Mist On The Mountain" and more. This edition includes bonus tracks from a rare 45 – "Hangman" and "Leaves That Are Green". Next is the self-titled John Renbourn from 1965 – a set that would not only establish John's legacy for years to come, but also have a very strong impact upon the role of the guitar on the British scene too! The album's definitely in a mode that owes something to an American folk legacy – but it also really breaks from the past with unusual phrasings and colorings in Renbourn's guitar – certainly with an ear towards ancient English modes, but also at once very fresh and contemporary – a strong precursor to the waves of new acoustic talents that would flow from the UK a few years later, but maybe even more revolutionary – given that John's mostly just working here with his guitar and voice. Bert Jansch adds guitar to a few tracks – and titles include "Song", "Down On The Barge", "Plainsong", "Judy", "Beth's Blues", "Blue Bones", "Train Tune", "Winter Is Gone", and "Noah & Rabbit". Bert & John is a hell of a collaboration between British legends Bert Jansch and John Renbourn – both working here together to completely redefine the sound of their music for the generation to come! This one album may well hold all the sense of subtle power and possibility that was about to flower in the Brit movement often known as "acid folk" – that reworking of older aesthetics with modern conceptions, and doing so mostly with their work on acoustic guitar – quite a feat, given the stripped-down instrumentation of the set! Bert sings a bit – in that incredible style of his – but the real attraction here is the guitar interplay, which is always fresh, never hokey, neither familiar American folk nor forced singer-songwriter backup material. Titles include a wonderful reworking of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" – plus "Red's Favourite", "Orlando", "Soho", "Piano Tune", "East Wind", "After The Dance", and "The Time Has Come". Another Monday is maybe the most obscure album in the collection – a set that is mostly instrumental, with some completely fantastic work by Renbourn on guitar – but which also features a bit of guest vocals from singer Jacqui McShee – whose warmer presence next to John really makes for a nice pairing. The album's as powerful as it is subtle, really beautiful in its sense of variety – with titles that include "Buffalo", "One For William", "Lost Lover Blues", "Another Monday", "Day At The Seaside", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", and "Waltz". Watch The Stars is another great collaboration with Dorris Henderson – an American singer, but one who moved to London in the 60s – where she cut this rare gem with guitarist John Renbourn! The album's got a righteous vibe that's hipper than the usual folk set – with some traditional tunes and some contemporary material – recorded with that amazing phrasing that made Renbourn's guitar so distinct right from the start, with lots of those jazzy currents we love so much – and which really fit the creative vocal approach of Henderson! Dorris also plays some autoharp, and there's a bit of bass in the backings – although overall the main focus here is on Renbourn's guitar and Henderson's vocals. Titles include "Come Up Horsey", "God Bless The Child", "Watch The Stars", "30 Days In Jail", "Mosaic Patterns", "Tomorrow Is A Long Time", and "There's Anger In This Land". Sir John A Lot Of is perhaps one of the best-known albums from British guitar legend John Renbourn – as it was issued widely in the US, and kept in print for a surprisingly long time over the years! The approach here is slightly different than Renbourn's previous records – a bit in the image presented by the cover, although with maybe not as slavish a sound – as John just uses the whole thing to go a bit more ancient than before, in ways that echo the time travel that the whole British folk scene was taking as the 70s approached. The tunes are done in ways that are really beautiful – still lots of the incredible guitar work that made Renbourn such a standout on the scene – plus flute from jazzman Ray Warleigh, who's very different here than usual – and spare use of finger cymbals, African drums, and glockenspiel by Terry Cox. Titles include "Morgana", "Transfusion", "The Trees They Do Grow High", "Sweet Potato", "Seven Up", and "White Fishes". 6CD box features all records in original artwork sleeves, with a booklet of notes – and bonus tracks that include "Message To Pretty", "The Waggoner's Lad", "Lucky Thirteen", "Blues Run The Game", "The Wildest Pig In Captivity (alt)", "Can't Keep From Crying", "Transfusion (alt)", and "The Leaves Are Green". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

Blue-eyed soul from the legendary Mitch Ryder – and pretty darn gritty at that – steeped in styles borrowed from Memphis and Muscle Shoals, and given a bit of a color-blind twist on the Detroit scene of the late 60s! Mitch clearly loves the motor city sound of the 60s, but also takes things to farther points south, too – using elements that would be right at home on Stax or Atlantic Records, and coming up with a crossover sound that had his recorded almost ending up in more soul collections over the years than rock ones! Production is by pop maestro Bob Crewe, but it's surprisingly unadorned compared to some of Crewe's other work of the time – and the album bristles with sock-soul instrumentation from the Detroit Wheels, and loud, proud vocals from Mitch. There's a bit of garaey guitars in the mix, too – making for a mighty nice hybrid of styles – and titles include "Shakin With Linda", "You Get Your Kicks", "Any Day Now", "I Need Help", "Little Latin Lupe Lu", "Walkin The Dog", "I Had It Made", and the classic "Breakout". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever anthology of work by Sharon Tandy – a mod Brit singer from the 60s, one with a really groovy sound! Sharon's got the same heartbreaking blend of soul and pop that you'd find in Dusty Springfield at her best, but she's working with arrangements that have a rawer sound – and much more of an honest soul-based approach. There's lots of guitars in the mix – and the tunes sear with a sound that blows away most of the other British pop female singers of the time! The package features a few previously unissued Stax recordings, plus rare singles on Atlantic and Pye – with a total of 26 tracks that include "Two Can Make It Together", "You've Gotta Believe It", "Hold On", "Our Day Will Come", "Toe Hold", "Love Is Not A Simple Affair", "Gotta Get Enough Time", "Border Town", and "Things Get Better". CD

(Funky 45's, Rock) 7-inch, Vinyl record