The mindblowing first album from The Deviants – one of the weirdest, wildest groups on the UK scene in the late 60s – more garagey than psych, but pretty trippy at times too – and with a nasty edge that almost makes you feel like Kim Fowley was urging them on in the studio! The legendary Mick Farren is at the head of the group on vocals, but the set is clearly a collective effort – recorded by The Deviants themselves, before any label made them an offer to hit the studios – which may well be why the whole thing has such a distinct vibe of its own! The group almost have a proto-punk attitude at times – more LA than London – and they effortlessly shift through gems here that include "I'm Coming Home", "Garbage", "Bun", "Deviation Street", "Child Of The Sky", and the percussive heavy, batucada-like "Nothing Man". CD

Mighty nice material from the earliest years of Jackie DeShannon – a full unreleased album for Liberty, plus a bunch of other rare tracks too! The album is fascinating – as it's a tribute to Ray Charles, and has Jackie not singing her own songs, as she would do famously later – but instead taking on tunes from the Ray Charles songbook, especially heavy on the Atlantic years – which come across with this soulful style that's really a change for Jackie! And sure, she's always had a current of soul in her music – but here, she has raspy vocals on a number of cuts, almost echoing Etta James – and great arrangements that really fit the vibe. Ray Charles titles include "Night Time Is The Right Time", "Georgia On My Mind", "I'll Drown In My Own Tears", "Ain't That Love", "Hallelujah I Love Him So", and "What'd I Say". The bonus material is also heavy on soulful styles too – in part because a number of them were recorded with great R&B producer Clyde Otis – and the set features a total of 24 tracks, with other titles that include "Wishin Won't Get It", "I Must Be Dreaming", "Shed A Tear", "Don't You Feel Sorry For Me", "Gonna Search", and "Nothing Can Stop Me". CD

Great experimental work from Holger Hiller – a set that was issued on the important German new wave label Ata Tak, but which was maybe even more revolutionary than most other records on the imprint at the time! Hiller bridges so many different worlds here – earlier German electronic experimentation at an academic level, some of the spacier sounds of the prog generation, and the really creative exploration of earlier ideas in a more personal level that marked the new wave of the post-punk years – using some elements here that would be right at home on a cold wave recording, but with modes that are sometimes more playful, and almost in territory that Holger Czukay would explore on some of his solo work of the decade. The mix of keyboards, vocals, and analog elements is great – and titles include "Jonny", "Hosen Die Nicht Aneinander Passen", "Mutter Der Frohlichkeit", "Das Feuer", "Ein Hoch Auf Das Bugeln", and "Budapest Bukarest". CD

A huge amount of material from Tommy James & The Shondells – a group that most people know for a string of jingle-jangle gems in the 60s, but who kept on making some really wonderful music over the course of the 11 albums included in this set! The group at the start were already pretty darn amazing – able to create the kind of catchy, groovy tunes that really exploded out of AM radio in the mid 60s – but as the years went on, Tommy moved into headier territory, and started to stretch out from the pop psych sound of "Crimson & Clover" – one of his last great hits, but also the gateway to all the wonderful music heard here in the second half of the set! The collection is a real ear-opener – and includes lots of music that hasn't been on CD in any form for years (or vinyl for that matter too!) – plus bonus tracks on most of the records, and other rare material – all bundled up with a heavy booklet of notes. 140 tracks in all – and the albums Hanky Panky, It's Only Love, I Think We're Alone Now, Gettin Together, Mony Mony, Crimson & Clover, Cellophane Symphony, Travelin, Tommy James, Christian Of The World, My Head My Bed & My Red Guitar – and bonus tracks and singles too! CD

Never-issued material from the legendary Arthur Russell – a set of tracks that's maybe closest in spirit to his groundbreaking World Of Echo album – as it blends together voice, cello, effects, and plenty of the echo promised in the title – all with a style that's beyond easy description, and completely sublime throughout! This work captures Russell at his most creative – definitely more of an artists' musician than the sort who'd tried to crack more mainstream modes in his earlier years – almost set free to find that special voice that was always inside him, delivered in a style that's undeniably his, and years ahead of its time! And although we've loved some of the other issues of his lost material by Audika, this set may well be the best of the recent batch – with titles that include "The Boy With A Smile", "Fuzzbuster #6", "Not Checking Up", "Telling No One", "In The Light Of A Miracle", "Very Reason", and "Picture Of Bunny Rabbit". CD

Groovy 60s pop from the sunny brother & sister duo of Nino Tempo & April Stevens – wonderful stuff that's crafted as sweetly as can be, encapsulating influences from a wide range of pop styles of the time – and it still sounds great! This anthology features a bunch of the their best duo numbers, as well as some earlier and later separate projects we'd never heard before. 24 tracks in all: "Deep Purple", "All Strung Out", "Sweet And Lovely", "Follow Me", "Hey Baby", "Out Of Nowhere", "Wings Of Love", "Lovin' Valentine" (April Stevens), "Sister James" (Nino Tempo & 5th Ave Sax), "Hey Baby", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Whispering", "Amazon River" and many more. CD

Groovy, moddish, magnificent and sunny girl pop from The Land Of The Rising Sun – pummeling drums, jumping arrangements and groovy vocals from the mid-to-late 60s Japanese scene! This is fantastic stuff, any kitch or novelty appeal you might be expecting is kind of muted by the exceptional quality and excellent performances – but it is flat out fun! As the title states, strains of pop, beat & bossa – plus mod & psychedelic fuzz – and the vocals girl group vocals are bright, rocking, playful or sultry or innocent depending on the groove! 25 tracks in all: "Black Room by Jun Mayuzumi, Sharock No 1" by Mie Nakao, "Nagisa No Tenshi" by Mieko Hirota, "Hatsu Koi No Letter" by Miki Obata, "Bazazz Tengoku" by The Cupids, "Aeba Suki Suki" by Margaret With Bunnys, "Nukui Aitsu" by Mika Nohira, "Kiiro No Sekai" by J Girls and more. (Japanese, Rock) CD

Maybe the first true moment of greatness from Thin Lizzy – a record that really has them coming into their own, with a sharpness that really points the way at their later classics – and that unique approach that has Phil Lynott standing out as one of the most unique singers of his generation! There's still a bit of a bluesy undercurrent at the start, but as the album comes together some really tremendous songs emerge – tuneful yet rocking, and with a surprising undercurrent of soul as well. Titles include the classic "The Rocker", the great "Mama Nature Said", and "The Hero And The Madman", "Vagabond Of The Western World", and "A Song For While I'm Away". Amazing 3CD set – features bonus tracks on CD1, including "Whiskey In The Jar", "Black Boys On The Corner", "Randolph's Tango", "Broken Dreams", "The Rocker (single edit)", "Here I Go Again", and "A Ride In The Lizzy Mobile". CD2 features rare radio work – a whole bunch of BBC sessions plus RTE Radio material too! CD3 features live tracks, demos, and rare outtakes – lots more rare goodies! Blu-ray audio features an Atmos mix, a 5.1 mix, and a stereo mix of the album – plus bonus Atmos mixes of some of the singles. Comes in a great box, along with a 60 page booklet with new notes and unpublished artwork! CD

The Challengers cook it strongly here – adding in a bit more sax than before to their sweet guitar instrumental groove – almost using the instrument as a second sort of engine to give themselves even more power than before! There's a slightly deeper tone than on the group's previous records – all the sharp guitar lines that made The Challengers one of the best of the bunch, but with a range that stretches out nicely overall – and keeps even the familiar tunes from sounding like the usual bag! Titles include "Mr Rebel", "K-39", "Out Of Limits", "One Mint Julep", "Bedlam", "Chiflado", "Just Drums", and "Mark Of Zorro". CD

Blazing 60s & 70s string-shredding mastery from Japan's great guitar instrumentals guru Takeshi Terauchi – whose playing matches the greatest 50s & 60s rock guitar gurus in both dexterous ability and pulpy mood setting! Takeshi put his own unique spin on the chugging styles of the period – hard-charging twang, surf and beat in the 60s, and distorted spacey and funky rock later on in the 70s – all of it pretty amazing! Includes "Ganroku Hanami Odori", "Rising Stars", "Sado Okesa", "The Clamour Of The Sun", "South Pier" and "Summer Boogaloo" by Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys, plus "Hoshi Eno Tabeji (Journey To The Stars", "Sa No Sa", "Touryanse", "Nambuzaka Yuki No Wakare", "Tsugaru Eleki Bushi" and many more by Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans. 25 tracks on the CDversion. CD

Fuzzy guitars, analog electronics, moody production, and slightly sinister vocals – all elements you'll find in abundance here, in this well done look at UK work from a generation when the US scene was dipping into modes that were later dubbed "post-rock" – and helped to define the style of a generation! The British take on this territory is nicely different from American work of the time – and there's maybe a larger, wider palette of approaches going on – elements borrowed from other styles and generations, but woven into these wonderful waves of sound that made for a great farewell to the 20th century! The collection is in a slightly newer range than we're used to hearing from Ace Records, but they do an equally great job with the material – as the choice of cuts is superb, and the detailed notes provide plenty of direction throughout the musical journey. Titles include "City Poison" by Moonshake, "Second Language" by Disco Inferno, "Darling Effect" by Insides, "Starry Night" by Laika, "Every Day Shines (D mix)" by Earwig, "Play Away" by Electric Sound Of Joy, "Through You" by Seefeel, "Loose Threads" by Pram, "In The Light Of Time" by Flying Saucer Attack, "The Weight" by Hood, "A Street Scene" by Bark Psychosis, "Naturally Occurring Anchors" by Spoonfed Hybrid, In The Event Of Just Looking" by Appliance, "Sun Drawing" by Movietone, and "A Cherry Wave From Stranded Youngsters" by Mogwai. CD