An album with a horse on the cover, and a sound that's maybe even more soulful than the first mighty outing by Babe Ruth – quite a lot, given the strength of that debut! Vocalist Jenny Haan seems to have an even greater presence here – working some nice currents of color through the group's great ability to riff, groove, and sometimes step into more acoustic modes – all while holding onto one of the hippest currents going in the Harvest Records scene – and one of the most unique as well! There's plenty of surprises throughout – and in addition to great cuts like "Broken Cloud", "Gimme Some Leg", "We Are Holding On", "Amar Caballo", and "Doctor Love" – the group also turn in a nicely offbeat remake of "Cool Jerk" too! LP, Vinyl record album

A group so great and so groovy, they ended up having a huge influence on the early sound of hip hop – thanks to a wonderfully funky sound at the core of their progressive rock groove! Babe Ruth have this rhythmic impulse that's really amazing – a way of working bass, drums, and percussion together with qualities that go way past just prog rock noodling – and have this focus that really fits the lead vocals and guitar of Alan Shacklock, who also handled all the arrangements for this mighty debut too! Titles include their classic cut "The Mexican" – a famous sample cut from way back, with nice use of acoustic guitar and a Morricone riff too – plus versions of Zappa's "King Kong" and Jesse Winchester's "Black Dog" – and the originals "Wells Fargo", "The Runaways", and "Joker". LP, Vinyl record album

First Base is the first record from these UK jazz rockers who might have been forgotten forever, were it not for "The Mexican", a wonderful jazzy break track on this album, sampled very, very early in the history of hip hop, and still quite nice today! You can also find "Wells Fargo", the biggest hit in the band's short-lived career, on this record. Other tracks include "The Runaways", "King Kong", "Cool Jerk", "Gimme Some Leg", "Amar Caballero", and "We Are Holding On" – and the CD features the band's first two albums back to back. CD

The great city of Boston lost Babe Ruth in 1920, and it was pretty much all downhill until the Modern Lovers showed up at the end of the 60s. The two chord proto-punk, pomposity-busting brilliance of Jonathan Richman and his organ-heavy (courtesy of pre-Talking Head Jerry Harrison) Modern Lovers sounds better and better every time we hear it! This is the classic first album – with "Roadrunner", "Hospital", "She Cracked", "Modern World" and the rest, the one that they recorded around 1970 and which languished as a heavily bootlegged cult classic until it's first official release in the mid 70s! CD

The one and only full LP ever recorded by Harry Taussig – blending folk & blues based solo guitar traditions with his unique style – on this great, private press rarity from 1965, dug up by the folk & roots heroes at Tompkins Square! It's really fine stuff, which should appeal to folks who dig the Fahey & Basho style of primitive guitar, but Taussig brings his own flavor to the pot. The tunes have a bit more rag in them, and a real love of lonely blues guitar, and his playing the right kind of ragged to our ears, giving it a natural and truthful resonance that cuts deeper to our souls than players who go for perfection or prettiness. Very highly recommended! Tracks include Taussig's adaptation of "Baby Let Me Lay It On You/That'll Never Happen No More" by Reverend Gary Davis, plus "Blues For Zone VII", "Rev's Rag", "Sugar Babe, YOur Papa Cares For You", "Rondo To Death", "Dorian Sonata", "Fate Is Only Once" and more. (Folk/Country, Rock) CD