Maybe our favorite record ever from 70s mellow rock maestro Ned Doheny – thanks to production from Steve Cropper and arrangements from Jimmie Haskell – both of whom give the record a super-soulful sound! Ned's always had this blue-eyed style that's gotten him equal play on both sides of the 70s fence – respect from the crowds that love his smooth AOR approach, but also nods from the modern soul scene – given how many great midtempo grooves he's offered us over the years. This set's the perfect delivery on all his great promise – and is filled with wonderful cuts that include "Think Like A Lover", "Labor Of Love", "Sweet Friction", "To Prove My Love", "If You Only Knew", "Funky Love", and "Guess Who's Looking For Love Again". CD

One of the most sweetly jazzy albums ever recorded by Kevin Ayers – a set that almost has him moving in the more progressive direction taken by Soft Machine after his departure! As on other solo Ayers albums, David Bedford had a strong hand in the arrangements – but his approach here is more focused, and often more sophisticated than before – less in the playful collaborative style of Ayers immediate post-Soft Machine years, and more in an ambitious style that pushes the elements together with a beautifully honed sound. Players on the album include Mike Oldfield on guitar, Didier Malherbe on sax and flute, Gerry Fields on electric viola, and Bedford on keyboards – and titles include "Oh My", "Margaret", "Song From The Bottom Of A Well", "Lullaby", "Champagne Cowboy Blues", "Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes", and "There Is Loving/Among Us/There Is Loving". LP, Vinyl record album

One dozen "berrys", all of them great – the fresh fruits of the labors of a young Chuck Berry – heard here at his raw, early best! The sound here is stunning – a version of Chuck that gets way past any oldies cliches – and which reminds us that at the start, his music was coming from the same Chess Records fount as Bo Diddley's riffing guitar and Muddy Waters' Chicago blues! The tunes all work together perfectly – and the familiar numbers fit in perfectly with overlooked gems that really make the album great – especially when Chuck's guitar is really given a chance to step out and solo. Titles include "La Juanda", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "It Don't Take But A Few Minutes", "Rock & Roll Music", and "Low Feeling". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest moments from David Bowie, mixed with some rare tracks, collaborations, 45 mixes, and more – as well as the single "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)" – which is one of Bowie's best singles in years! The package is available in a number of varieties, with a number of covers – and each different iteration offers a special sort of focus on Bowie's varied creative career – reminding us in more different ways how much we've continued to love his music over the years! This 3CD version features the track "Sue" – plus 58 more tracks that include"All The Young Dudes", "Dancing In The Streets" with Mick Jagger, "Silly Boy Blue", "Can't Help Thinking About Me", "Liza Jane", "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving", "Wild Is The Wind (2010 Harry Maslin mix)", "Buddha Of Subburbia", "Your Turn To Drive", "The Stars Are Out Tonight", "Blue Jean", "This Is Not America" with Pat Metheny, "Oh You Pretty Things", "Moonage Daydream", "Drive In Saturday", "Sorrow", "Fame", "Boys Keep Swinging", "Fashion (single)", "Ashes To Ashes (single)", "Love Is Lost (DFA hello Steve Reich mix)", "New Iller Star (radio)", "I'm Afraid Of Americans (V1 radio edit)", "Jump They Say (radio)", "Let's Dance", "Life On Mars", "Hello Spaceboy (PSB rmx)" with Pet Shop Boys, "Under Pressure" with Queen, "Sound & Vision", "Golden Years (single)", "Absolute Beginners (single)", "Starman (single)", "Rebel Rebel", "Jean Genie (orig single version)", "Changes", "Where Are We Now", "China Girl (single)", and "Heroes (single)". CD

A seminal moment in leftfield music – maybe the crowning achievement of Captain Beefheart, and a landmark collaboration with Frank Zappa as well! Zappa produced, and gave the group plenty of room to stretch out on this double-length set done for his Bizarre Records imprint – which allowed the Captain the kind of freedom that Frank was getting at the time – which meant there was no need for a hit, no need to tone things down, and plenty of patience for all the record's amazing instrumental twists and turns, and Beefheart's madcap sense of humor as well! The Cap sings, and plays saxes and bass clarinet – and the record's got some really incredible guitar work from Zoot Horn Rollo and Antennae Jimmy Semens – really setting the stage for countless other guitarists in years to come. Tracks include "Dachau Blues", "Hair Pie", "Moonlight On Vermont", "Sweet Sweet Bulbs", "China Pig", "My Human Gets Me Blues", and "Dali's Car". CD

A seminal moment in leftfield music – maybe the crowning achievement of Captain Beefheart, and a landmark collaboration with Frank Zappa as well! Zappa produced, and gave the group plenty of room to stretch out on this double-length set done for his Bizarre Records imprint – which allowed the Captain the kind of freedom that Frank was getting at the time – which meant there was no need for a hit, no need to tone things down, and plenty of patience for all the record's amazing instrumental twists and turns, and Beefheart's madcap sense of humor as well! The Cap sings, and plays saxes and bass clarinet – and the record's got some really incredible guitar work from Zoot Horn Rollo and Antennae Jimmy Semens – really setting the stage for countless other guitarists in years to come. Tracks include "Dachau Blues", "Hair Pie", "Moonlight On Vermont", "Sweet Sweet Bulbs", "China Pig", "My Human Gets Me Blues", and "Dali's Car". LP, Vinyl record album

A haunting debut from singer Julee Cruise – collaborating with filmmaker/songwriter/producer David Lynch and his Twin Peaks soundtrack composer Angelo Badalamenti! The album was underappreciated at the time, perhaps because its loose connection to Lynch's Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet was too big of a pop culture hurdle for critical minds to clear, but it really deserves a reassessment. The mix of nostalgic 50s ballroom pop and ethereal modern dream pop is unique, kind of otherworldly, and Julee's gorgeous vocals carry it over with style to spare. Wierd and beautiful – there's really nothing else like it! Titles include "Floating", "Falling", "I Remember", "Mysteries Of Love", "Into The Night", "I Float Alone", "The Swan", "The World Spins" and more. CD

A haunting debut from singer Julee Cruise – collaborating with filmmaker/songwriter/producer David Lynch and his Twin Peaks soundtrack composer Angelo Badalamenti! The album was underappreciated at the time, perhaps because its loose connection to Lynch's Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet was too big of a pop culture hurdle for critical minds to clear, but it really deserves a reassessment. The mix of nostalgic 50s ballroom pop and ethereal modern dream pop is unique, kind of otherworldly, and Julee's gorgeous vocals carry it over with style to spare. Weird and beautiful – there's really nothing else like it! Titles include "Floating", "Falling", "I Remember", "Mysteries Of Love", "Into The Night", "I Float Alone", "The Swan", "The World Spins" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The Electric Prunes are maybe best-remembered in terms of their collaboration with David Axelrod – but here, you'll hear the young group already sounding pretty dam great on their own – working with a set of their own arrangements, to create that moody, eerie vibe that instantly made the group one of the standout acts on the American scene of the psych generation! Few acts were able to capture this sort of energy on our side of the Atlantic – and the Prunes veer between madness and magic at a level that's more typical of some of the trippiest UK groups of the period – mixing freak and fuzz, fear and awe, on titles that include "The Great Banana Hoax", "Wind Up Toys", "Dr. Do-Good", "Hideaway", and "Capt Glory". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty wild set from Elephants Memory – one that's as trippy as you'd guess from the group's image on the cover – and equally collaborative too! There's a strong mix of male and female vocals here – over guitar and rhythms that move effortlessly between blues rock and psych – all with a pretty loose, freewheeling sense of production – but enough tightness to make some of the chorus moments snap out nicely! Wes Farrell produced, but seems to really let the band do their thing – and in addition to songs written by group members Stan Bronstein, Michal Shapiro, and Richard Sussman – there also seems to be some song contributions from Tony Visconti too. Titles include "Hot Dog Man", "Talkin A Walk", "RIP", "Jungle Gym At The Zoo", "Don't Put Me On Trial No More", "Crossroads Of The Stepping Stones", "Band Of Love", and "Brief Encounter". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

The rare one-off collaborative side project by Robert Smith of The Cure and Steven Severin of Siouxsie & The Banshees! Includes "Like An Animal", "Looking Glass Girl", "A Blue In Drag", "Punish Me With Kisses", "Relax", ""Mouth To Mouth", "Like An Animal", "This Green City" and more. CD

An early Warner Brothers classic from the Grateful Dead – a set that has them stretching out in maybe a more collaborative way than usual – using a few key guests to expand their freewheeling sound! The larger posse is pictured on the back cover, with a down to earth image that's a nice contrast to the trippy vibe of the front – and that may well be the best illustration of the group's changing spirit during this key year – as they shake off a bit of the hippie stink, and settle into even more serious musicianship overall. Titles include "Cosmic Charlie", "China Cat Sunflower", "Doin That Rag", "Mountains Of The Moon", and "Dupree's Diamond Blues". Includes the original 1969 mix, the 1971 mix and at the Avalon Ballroom San Francisco 1969. CD

An early Warner Brothers classic from the Grateful Dead – a set that has them stretching out in maybe a more collaborative way than usual – using a few key guests to expand their freewheeling sound! The larger posse is pictured on the back cover, with a down to earth image that's a nice contrast to the trippy vibe of the front – and that may well be the best illustration of the group's changing spirit during this key year – as they shake off a bit of the hippie stink, and settle into even more serious musicianship overall. Titles include "Cosmic Charlie", "China Cat Sunflower", "Doin That Rag", "Mountains Of The Moon", and "Dupree's Diamond Blues". CD

The first full length collaboration between blues, soul and rock slide guitar eclecticist Ben Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite – and it's win for both – with a vibe that's rooted in many traditions, but feels right at home in both Harper's and Musselwhite's wheelhouses. We expected a blues & soul covers set when we first heard that this project was in the works – and while the prospect of these 2 fellows working together on the classic Americana songbook sounds like a pretty good idea to us – we're actually all the more impressed with this all originals take on classic styled craft. A bit of blues and blues rock, a bit of gospel, and a bit of southern styled folk soul – and a bunch of great songs! It's a full band set up for the most part, too, as opposed to a spare duos set – and the titles include "Don't Look Twice", "I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone", "We Can't End This Way", "You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend), "I Ride At Dawn", "Get Up!", "She Got Kick", "Blood Side Out" and "All That Matters Now". CD

A wonderfully expanded reissue of this South American rock treasure from the early 70s – key recordings by Eduardo Mateo, easily one of the most enigmatic musicians to ever record on the Uruguay scene! Although once a member of some harder-edged rock acts in the 60s, Mateo is surprisingly warm and gentle on these tracks – slightly folksy at times, but also with echoes of candombe in the percussion of some of these tunes – a unique cross-cultural blend that's made even better through production that's sweetly compressed, but also wonderfully clean and simple. There's an earnest, personal feel to these tunes that reminds us a lot of the work of Alzo & Udine – or Alzo, solo – spare use of percussion underneath acoustic guitar, topped by vocals that really have a way of grabbing us, even when we can't understand the lyrics! Given Mateo's temperament and unreliability in the studio, the original album in the set was more of a "collection" put together by his producer – and it's expanded on greatly here with the addition of 8 more bonus tracks recorded at the end of the 60s – a few live tracks, and a number of other collaborations that follow the spirit of the main album. The package features a wonderful 44 page booklet, loaded with notes and photos – and titles include "Yulele", "Quien Te Viera", "Uh Que Macana", "Nina", "Tras De Ti", "Por Que", "La Chola", "Esa Cosa", "Blues Para El Bien Mio", "Margaritas Rojas", "Hombre", and "Mumi". CD

Really striking solo work from Anthony Moore – especially when you consider that he began his career serving up art work in Slapp Happy and Henry Cow, then later collaborated a bit with Pink Floyd in the 80s! Yet here, Moore's in stark, dark territory that's really telegraphed by the cover image – a bit post-punk, but maybe more in the style of the New York downtown scene than you'd guess from Anthony's work on the UK scene – tunes that are well-penned enough to be catchy, but full of all sorts of jagged edges on the guitars – and delivered with a stripped-down vibe that's hardly art rock at all – save maybe for the sound of the more art-driven underground of the NYC scene. At the same time, there's also maybe a bit of a Swell Maps spirit going on here – but only in the way that makes the music so much more individual than so much of its company at the time. Titles include "Time Less Strange", "War", "Just Us", "Caught Being In Love", "Judy Get Down", "Ready Ready", and "Useless Moments". 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

Those are some pretty crabby ladies on the front covers – workers for the Jugoton label, working on quality control – but they're probably not the right audience for the music on this set, which is very cool and groovy – and not the sort that would usually go for the blue-haired set! As you'll guess from the title, the sounds were all created in the 80s – partly following off the British electronic modes of the post-punk years, in both cold wave and new wave styles – then moving into some of the shifting styles as the decade moved on, although still often nicely not really in any sort of too-commercial territory! Given the wealth of Croatian, Serbian, and other talents handled by the label, there's a huge amount going on here – as you'll discover on titles that include "Ti I Ja" by Denis & Denis, "Pocket" by Master Scratch Band, "Kad Je Kraj Blizu" by Parliament, "Palcica" by Mato Dosen & HC Andersen, "On" by Zana, "Devica 69" by Laboratorija, "Zaba" by D'Boys, "Radio Video" by Nicky, and "Harakiri" by Dubravka – plus some short "Jugoton Express" tracks. (Funky Compilations, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album