A double-helping of Chuck Berry brilliance from his early years on Chess Records – music that always has way way more to offer than you might think! Sure, some of Chuck's hits are very familiar – and sure, the man could later be a bit of a parody of himself – but there's no denying the power of this early material, and the revolutionary way Chuck had of playing guitar – rooted in blues, paving the way to rock, and also opening the door to lots more funky soul in years to come! The guitar work alone is worth the price of admission, but the songs and vocals are wonderful too – and the CD features 26 titles that include "Down The Road A Piece", "Mad Lad", "Sweet Little Rock & Roller", "Anthony Boy", "Little Queenie", "Oh Baby Doll", "Confessin The Blues", "Almost Grown", "Jo Jo Gunne", "Wee Wee Hours", "Too Much Monkey Business", and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man". (Soul, Rock) CD

A completely obscure funky rock set from the early 70s – one that draws plenty of inspiration from southern and swamp material of the time, but which also has this really lean vibe that serves the music very well! Most tunes are covers, but they're done in a great way – no fuller arrangements, just tightly snapping drums, nice basslines, and well-crafted guitar parts that sometimes make especially great use of a wah wah pedal! The vocals are nicely down to earth too – no rockstar bravado here – and titles include funky remakes of "Shaft" and "Funky Nassau" – plus "Games People Play", "Proud Mary", "Rose Of Ybor City", and the original tunes "Wildwood Flower", "Wildwood River", and "Crooked River". CD

A weird idea for a collection, but a great one too – a set that brings together a batch of train-themed tunes from the 60s, and uses the transportation narrative as a way to unlock ideas of personal freedom and social change! The "train" here isn't just a gimmick – and instead focuses on the way that the mode of transportation helped open up new ideas and new vistas in the postwar years – a way of getting out, and getting past – served up here in a range of soul, blues, and other styles too! The set's got 25 tracks in all, put together with the usual top-shelf Ace Records approach – and titles include "Freedom Riders" by Harold Jackson, "Steam" by Caroline Day, "Number 9 Train" by Tarheel Slim, "Hurry Hurry Choo Choo" by Sharon Tandy, "Memphis Train" by Rufus Thomas, "Won't Be Long" by Dusty Springfield, "The Downbound Train" by Chuck Berry, "Train To Skaville" by The Ethiopians, "Go Go Train" by Jackie Pain, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "This Train" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Up The Line" by Little Walter, "Death Train Blues" by Daddy Long Legs, "Stop That Train" by Keith & Tex, "Country Line Special" by Cyril Davies, and "Big Train" by Bobby Wayne. (Soul, Rock) CD

The fingersnap here is the key – as all the cuts here have a nicely romping kind of groove – a sweet sense of rhythm that's bound to get your toes tapping as much as your fingers are snapping – thanks to a nice sense of space between the notes! The music is from a variety of different genres – late 50s/early 60s country, pop, jazz, and R&B – all brought together here with the usual great Bear Family sense of an inventive tracklist, and definite panache for putting together a collection! The set features 31 tracks in all – and titles include "Tremblin" by Byrdie Green, "Love Charms" by Sanford Clark, "Lookout Mountain" by Chuck Miller, "Walk With Me Lord" by Ruth Brown, "King Of The Road" by Roger Miller, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "Coal Miner" by Nappy Brown, "Fever" by Peggy Lee, "Tale Of Woe" by Wynonie Harris, "Hawk" by Bill Haley & The Comets, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, "Chills & Fever" by Ronnie Love, "Sixteen Tons" by Jimmy Dean, "Tiny Tim" by LaVern Baker, "Satan Is Her Name' by Steve King & The Echelons, and "Heartbeat" by The Collins Kids. CD

The great Jimmy Webb is one of our favorite songwriters of the 60s – a young man at the start, but one who could come across with a maturity that few of his contemporaries could match – arguably setting the scene for a key step into adult pop that would really explode in the 70s! Yet by that, we don't mean that Webb is any sort of "adult contemporary" figure from the softer side of the spectrum – as his tunes are open, honest, and filled with an understanding of the heart and its ability to break, delivered in ways that are still as powerful today as they were back when first written. The package features some of Jimmy's greatest songs, some in their famous recordings, but many more in lesser-known takes that only stand as further testament to Webb's words on the page – which really work some magic, no matter what the setting! In the best Ace tradition, the whole thing comes with a superb set of notes and details on the material – mostly late 60s tracks from Jimmy's key years, but a few gems from later too. Titles include "If This Was The Last Song" by Dee Dee Warwick, "I Keep It Hid" by The Supremes, "Carpet Man" by The Nocturnes, "I Need You" by Shane Martin, "Midnight Mail" by Joey Scarbury, "MacArthur Park" by Waylon Jennings, "Do What You Gotta Do" by Nina Simone, "The Worst That Could Happen" by BJ Thomas, "Requiem 820 Latham" by Mel Torme, "Magic Garden" by Dusty Springfield, "Rosecrans Blvd" by 5th Dimension, "Honey Come Back" by Chuck Jackson, "Wichita Lineman" by Tony Joe White, "Didn't We" by James Darren, "Which Way To Nowhere" by Brooklyn Bridge, and "Clowns Exit Laughing" by The Fortunes. CD

An amazing little record – easily one of the coolest albums ever on the legendary Ovation label – and a set that has the small imprint almost hitting the heights of their Chicago neighbor Cadet Records! The core sounds here are from the folksy duo of Chuck Hollins and Dave Starr – but their music is really expanded with some key studio touches – jazzy inflections from session players, some slight fuller arrangements – and an overall vibe that carries the same sense of hope and new voice that you'd find in records by Terry Callier or Rotary Connection! The dawn of the 70s was a great time to push the boundaries of what could be done with folk and psychedelic trappings, and these guys really find a great little space – balancing trippy lyricism, lots of ethereal atmosphere, and a few heavily percussive jams! Titles include "Talking To Myself", "Krishna Dov", "Cry Baby Cry", "Twin City Prayer", "John Hurt", "Hard Headed Women", "Lovable", "Digress", "Staying High", "Sidewalk's Talkin'", and "Feelin' Good". CD features bonus tracks that include a 9 minute outtake of "Hard Headed Woman" – plus single versions of "Feelin Good" and "Lovable". CD

A really cool collection of car-themed tunes – not 60s hot rod numbers, but mostly 50s tracks from those years when the automobile was really beginning to dominate American culture – and served as the inspiration for car-based cuts in a variety of different styles! A good number of the cuts here are 50s rockers, including some wild novelty-oriented numbers – but there's also country tracks, vocal tunes, and plenty more too – served up in a really well-done assortment of 33 songs that goes way past the familiar material you might find on a collection like this! As always, Bear Family have done a really great job – with presentation, notes, track selection, and more – on titles that include "Freeway USA" by The Bonnevilles, "Stop Jivin Start Drivin" by Bert Keyes, "Cruisin Central" by Faron Warmer, "Keep A Driving" by Chuck Willis, "Flat Tire" by The Del Vikings, "Wow Man" by Bobby Jackson, "The Drive In" by The Aquatones, "Get Out Of The Car" by The Lancers, "Cruisin" by Bucky & The Premieres, "Hey Little Car Hop" by George Weston, and "Big Green Car" by Jimmy Carroll. CD

One of the stunning late 60 psych rock classics on Mainstream Records – and, like the rest, a set that's a real standout at the time – and one of the few musical statements by a group who never got picked up and pushed more heavily by another label! Yet that quality is what makes the whole thing wonderful – a freaky, fuzzy east coast set with a very down to earth vibe – music that would have been garage a few years before, but which has picked up some very heady influences along the way – especially in the strong use of fuzz and distortion on the guitar! Drummer Chuck Monica has a nicely urgent vibe at times, echoed by the bass of Victor Muglia – and lead singer Brian Cooke delivers some great work on organ too! Nick Manzi is the man with the fuzz on guitar – and titles include "All Kinds Of Highs", "Riddles & Fairytales", "She Always Gives Me Pleasure", "Images", "Deaf Dumb & Blind", and "Paradox City". CD

Smoking instrumentals from the California scene of the early 60s – tracks that nicely bridge the space between surf guitar, R&B, and exotica – served up with plenty of sax, organ, and searing guitar! Most of the work here came from the studios of tiny Downey Records – done in a rough-edged, garagey style that's simple, but extremely effective – and a really nice contrast to mainstream California instrumentals of the time. The groups vary throughout, but most of the tunes are linked with a shared production technique that uses heavy echo, straightforward performance, and the occasional spare added element to spice up the music – a really great sound that has plenty of dark edges! Titles include "Migrane" and "Eight Ball" by The Hustlers, "Blockade" and "Here Comes The Bug" by The Rumblers, "Intoxica" and "Comanche" by The Revels, "Space Battle" by Stories In Sound, "Water Wheel" by Chuck Higgins, "Here Comes The Sun" by The Rumblers, "Rosemary's Baby" by Ed Burkey, "Ghost Of Mary Meade (part 2)" by Little Caesar & The Ark Angels, A Week From Tuesday" by The Pastel Six, and "Theme Of Etiquette" by The Hindus. CD

Genius, pure genius! (Have we said that about Lee too many times before?) The work of Lee Hazlewood is beyond description – a bit of vocals, a bit of country, a bit of lounge, and a bit of rock – all wrapped up with a sinister edge that has you believing that this was the man who used to refer to his frequent musical partner as "Nasty" Sinatra over the headphones during recording sessions! The set features 35 tracks from Lee's obscure years at MGM records – wonderful vocal tunes that rank with some of his best ever, plus a few weird instrumentals, recorded by Lee Hazlewood's Woodchucks. Insanely wonderful stuff – records that we come back to again and again and again over the years – finally presented in their entirety, with a great set of notes on the music! Tracks include "Hands", "Mannford Oklahoma", "This Town", "Sand", "Child", "Little War", "Fort Worth", "Summer Wine", "I Move Around", "After Six", "Batman", "Summer Nights", "Suzi Jane Is Back In Town", "In Our Time", "When A Fool Loves A Fool", and "So Long Babe". (Vocalists, Rock) CD

Super-heady work from the global psychedelic underground – exactly the kind of work we've come to love from the Now Again reissue projects over the years! The label has its roots in the hip hop and funk world of parent company Stones Throw – and has used that legacy to open up an understanding of unique moments in rock music where funk, soul, and other elements can creep into the mix too – heard here in a blend of really wonderful cuts that are all the sort that normally change hands for high-dollar prices in impossible-to-find originals, but which finally get full exposure on a collection like this! Titles include "Tickets For Doomsday" by Chucky Thurmon, "All Bundled In Love" by Water Color, "In Your Time" by Christopher, "Time" by JB Green & Band, "Leavin" by Misty, "Hari Yang Mulya" by Golden Wing, "Sad Man's Story" by Icecross, "Paradise Lost" by Upheaval,a nd "I Don't Mind (part 1)" by Stephen David Heitkotter. (Funky Compilations, Rock) CD