The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! CD

One of John Cale's greatest moments as a solo artist – a wonderfully dark record that also features lots of great guitar from Chris Spedding, plus electronics from Brian Eno too! There's a stark, flat tone to Cale's lyrics here – a quality that almost echoes some of Eno's albums from around the time, especially the first two – but which takes on some shapes and phrasing that are definitely in the spirit of John's larger body of work too. But man, there's some very spooky bits here – even where you wouldn't expect them – that sense of surprise that Cale could always bring to sweeter moments with the Velvet Underground, re-focused here wonderfully for his own needs. Titles include "Cable Hogue", "Engine", "Save Us", "My Maria", "I Keep A Close Watch", "Helen Of Troy", and "Sudden Death" – plus a cover of Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso". CD

An early 70s gem from Captain Beefheart – not as wild-eyed and whacked out as the late 60s glories – but still a good stretch weirder than most of the post psych, blues-steeped rock of the time! Ultimately, it's still Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, despite it being billed solely to Captain Beefheart on the cover (and his only album NOT co-billed with The Magic Band) – and we'd say it's their first album to go for a consistent mood from beginning-to-end, and we love it for that! If the Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off Baby records are the more feral early twin masterpieces – we'd say this one and Clear Spot are the wiser and more focused siblings, but no less classic! Tracks include "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby","Grow Fins", "There Ain't No Santa Clause On The Evenin' Stage", "Blabbern Smoke", "Alice In Blunderland", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Glider". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost prog nugget from a group who mix keyboards and woodwinds in a really great way – almost complicated, but with a down to earth quality overall – and one that seems to work especially well with the French language lyrics of the set! The record's one of those obscure French sets from the mid 70s with a sound that almost seems out of time – made far away from the mainstream, without any idea of the punk or disco changes that were taking place elsewhere – and with that more intellectual, more personal approach that often marked records of this nature as both a standout strength, and quality that would keep them from forever getting picked up by bigger labels for global circulation. Yet that balance is what makes the record so great, especially decades later – with titles that include "Divertimento", "Tramontane", "Laure", "Naissance", "Premiers Pas", and "Dernier Village Premieres Neiges". LP, Vinyl record album

The sixth volume of American Recordings from Johnny Cash – recorded in the months between June's & Johnny's passing – produced by an increasingly reverent Rick Rubin and put together with care and consideration. Cash sounds justifiably weary on these late recordings, with songs chosen from the work of great friends, admirers and the Man In Black himself. It's the second posthumous set in the series, but it's truly good stuff, and certainly respectful of Johnny's astounding legacy. Includes "Ain't No Grave", "Redemption Song", "For The Good Times", "Satisfied Mind", "I Corinthians 15:55", "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Cool Water", "Last Night A Stranger Had A Dream" and "Aloha Oe". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly headier sound than before from Chad & Jeremy – music that's still in a great mix of Brit Invasion and Sunshine Pop, but which also shows a somewhat deeper sensibility too – a desire to reach past the simpler pop modes that first got the pair going here in the US! Chad Stuart's listed as the music director for the album – and we're not sure if he's the one responsible for the sound, but there's definitely some great elements going on – bits of flute, harpsichord, flugelhorn, and more – all wrapped up beautifully with some great production that hangs the whole album in a warmly harmonic pillow of sound. Titles include "Ain't It Nice", "Distant Shores", "Morning", "Homeward Bound", "You Are She", and "Don't Make Me Do It". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album from Cali surf legends The Chantays – and a set that offers up a surprisingly nice twist at this late point in their career! The surf guitars of before are still very much in place, but the rhythms and production have changed in a nice way – reflecting that moment when surf records were becoming a strong pathway to Sunshine Pop – a mode that's echoed here especially on three surprising vocal numbers on the album too! The shift also makes for a subtle current of darkness that the group never had before – one echoed on the sun setting down on them in the cover, and which really deepens the feel of the record in a wonderful way. Titles include "A Dawning Sun", "Copenhagen", "Raylene", "Now That It's Over", "Take It Like A Man", "Sentimental Guitar", "Mr Moto", and "Outside's Inside Sad". LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy girl pop from late 60s France – a treasure trove of under-discovered numbers from the lovely Clothilde! Clothilde's from the same vintage as France Gall and Francoise Hardy – but she's got a style that's a bit sweeter vocally, yet still set to the mod-styled backings that really make 60s French pop so great! Tunes are plenty groovy, with a few trippy touches from time to time – and most numbers have a bouncy groove that really keeps things interesting – especially when odd instrumentation creeps into the mix – like bits of musical saw, oddball percussion, and bells and whistles! Titles include "Fallait Pas Ecraser Lau Queue Du Chat", "La Chanson Bete Et Mechante", "Le Boa", " "Saperlipopette", "102-103", "La Ballade Du Bossu", "A Ora Sos'e", and "Qualcosa Che Non Va". (French, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The first rumblings of genius from German electronic giants Cluster – but oddly, a record recorded without any synthesizers at all! The team of Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Rodelius are both playing organ here – as well as cello and Hawaiian guitar, and some "audio-generator" and amplifier effects – and they're recording with some excellent production help from the legendary Conny Plank, who uses all sorts of weird techniques to mess up the sound in really great ways. Ordinary notes are completely abstracted here – given cosmic tones and echoey rumblings that are far more challenging than most of the later work by Cluster, especially the pair's more ambient late 70s recordings. The 3 long songs are identified only by their timings – "15:33", "7:38", and "21:17". LP, Vinyl record album

A slightly sweeter version of Cluster than on previous records – a bit more focused, tuneful, and rhythmic – thanks to some great use of the "rhythmusmaschine"! Most numbers here have a slightly pulsating feel – one that really prefaces the electronic modes that would come from the UK at the end of the decade, especially the best work of the Sheffield scene. Cluster here show the way brilliantly – taking the longer jams of earlier years, and honing them down into simple melodies and rhythms – yet still delivered with a fair bit of edge throughout, and not nearly as much of the softness that would characterize later work by Moebius or Roedelius. Tracks include "Hollywood", "Caramel", "James", "Rote Riki", "Fotschi Tong", and "Marzipan". LP, Vinyl record album

Hey, don't hold Wayne Cochran's hair against him – because he's one massively soulful dude, despite a high white pompadour – and really knew how to rock the clubs back in the 60s! Cochran's a really unique figure – working with a look that was whiter-than-white, but coming across with a groove that was right up there in the best funky soul mode of the time! Wayne played for the same sort of crowds that went to see Baby Huey & The Babysitters – blending together soul and R&B influences with a really party-oriented groove laid down by his legendary CC Riders backup group – and crossing countless borders along the way, all in pursuit of a socking soul sound! This wonderful set is the best we've ever seen on his music – and features tracks pulled from his sessions for King, Chess, and Mercury – plus a full never-issued live album for King, titled The Wayne Cochran Show. There's more than a few covers here of other 60s soul tunes, but Wayne somehow manages to make most of them sound even better than the originals – bringing in funky arrangements that weren't even used on the hits, and making us wish we'd had a chance to catch his cooking show back in the day. 38 tracks in all – with titles that include "Dance To The Music", "Hold On I'm Coming", "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Hard To Handle", "Chopper 70", "Everybody", "Let Me Come With You", "My Machine", "Get Ready", "Which One Should I Choose", "I'm In Trouble", "The Peak Of Love", "Somebody Please", "I'm Leaving It Up To You", and "Big City Woman". (Soul, Rock) CD

Leonard Cohen's first live album, featuring material captured in London, Brussels, Paris and Berlin in 1972, plus a couple of recordings from 1970 – including Cohen's legendary appearance at Isle Of Wight! Live Songs never really got its due respect in its day, but it's pretty much an essential document of Cohen's transition from poet turned recording artist into a poet turned guitar wielding troubadour – and excellent stuff even without the slow building cultural relevance. Essential Cohen! Titles include "Passing Thru", "Bird On The Wire", "Nancy", "Improvisation", "Story Of Isaac", "Please Don't Pass Me By", "Tonight Will Be Fine", "Queen Victoria" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of mod classics from The Creation – back to back in a single package! First up is We Are Paintermen – a gem of a record from one of the coolest UK groups of the 60s – served up here in a German release that maybe gives The Creation one of their most vibrant covers ever! Despite the European issue of the material, the tracks here are all Brit brilliance from the group and producer Shel Talmy – served up in their incredible blend of mod grooves, garagey rawness, and early psych production – sharp and tight at the same time, and years ahead of its time! Titles include "Can I Join Your Band", "Making Time", "Tom Tom", "Biff Bang Pow", "Painterman", and "Nightmares" – plus covers of "Cool Jerk", "Hey Joe", and "Like A Rolling Stone". Next is How Does It Feel To Feel – genius work from The Creation at their best – tunes that really get at that special sort of something that set the group apart from so many others in the late 60s scene – a kind of compression of mod, garage, and psych elements into these short little tracks that still have all of their brilliance after so many years! The intensity here is maybe right up there with the early Who at their best – and the album brings together Shel Talmy-produced tracks that were originally issued as singles on the Decca, Polydor, and Hit-ton labels. Titles include "Uncle Bert", "Midway Down", "Girls Are Naked", "Sweet Helen", "Ostrich Man", "Life Is Just Beginning", "I Am The Walker", "For All That I Am", and "How Does It Feel To Feel" in both US and UK versions! CD

One of those records that was a classic from the moment it was first released – the legendary second effort from the trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash – with added bonus of Neil Young in the mix, which gives the whole thing a current of darkness that's completely mindblowing – especially in comparison to the harmonies of the quartet! These aren't the vocal patterns of the Sunshine Pop generation of a few years before – and CSNY find a way to capture all the darkness of the fading light of the 60s, while finding a special space for more thoughtful, sensitive sounds that never would have gotten a chance a few years before. Every track's a classic – and titles include "Carry On", "Our House", "Almost Cut My Hair", "Deja Vu", "Country Girl", "Everybody I Love You", "Woodstock", and "Teach Your Children". 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". (Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

Landmark work from The Dead Kennedys – and maybe still one of the greatest punk records to ever come from the American scene! There's so much here that so many other records are missing – razor-sharp instrumentation, a great sense of pacing, and most importantly, a biting wit that always keeps the whole thing from ever lapsing into any sort of over-serious cliches! Yet unlike their LA contemporaries, the group were also never ones to just lay into the jokes – as the political commentary here is especially pointed, and nearly every single song is a blistering attack on late 70s California mores and national obsessions. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Kill The Poor", "Forward To Death", "Let's Lynch The Landlord", "Your Emotions", "Holiday In Cambodia", "California Uber Alles", and "Stealing People's Mail" – plus a killer cover of "Viva Las Vegas". LP, Vinyl record album

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 stuff – one of the amazing early albums from the team of Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger – kind of a next-generation to the Brit beat group sound of the mid 60s – one that moves beyond simple R&B modes, to bring in more sophisticated soul and jazz touches! Driscoll's vocals are amazing – some of the boldest belted out in the British scene at the time – and Auger's Hammond work really cooks throughout – at a level that easily makes him one of the best UK organists to hit the scene, amidst some very heady company in the 60s. There's a few bluesy moments, but our favorites are the funky ones – especially the group's reading of "Season Of The Witch", which is tremendous. Other cuts include "In & Out", "Black Cat", "Goodbye Jungle Telegraph", and "Break It Up". (Vocalists, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most jazz-based groups of the German prog scene of the early 70s – heard here on a rare outing that features Mal Waldron playing electric piano with the group! Despite Waldron's presence, though, the real keyboard star of the set is Jimi Jackson – who plays mellotron and organ on the record, and sounds especially wonderful on the side-long track "The Call" – a fantastic 17-minute track that arose out of collective improvisations by the group! Instrumentation on the whole set is great – and includes the keyboards, plus heavy bass, vibes, marimba, guitar, sax, and even a bit of electric violin! Titles include "Radio Marrakesch/Orient Express", "Dreaming Girls", and "The Call". (Jazz, Rock) CD

There's three Evas on the cover, three Evas in the name, and three Evas in the group – a trio of Italian singers whose voices work together in a playful blend of disco and pop! There's almost an Abba-like appeal to the music – really catchy tunes that are unabashedly poppy – upbeat rhythms that borrow plenty from disco, but aren't afraid to add in some other touches too – with some especially cool hints at the Italian cosmic club approach to come on a few more moogy moments! Titles include "Invasione", "Tennis Club", "Argentina", "Love Me Please Forever", "Do", "Vedrai", and an Italian cover of "Stayin Alive"! (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! (Vocalists, Rock) CD

A record that has Family very much at the top of their game – and working in a format that some of their contemporaries were trying on record at the time – serving up one side of live material, and one set in the studio! Although the group are sometimes linked to the prog scene of the time, there's a quality here that's often more hard rock overall, especially on the live material – very thunderous drums and heady guitar work, and vocals from Roger Chapman singing at the rawer side of his spectrum! Titles include "Part Of The Load", "Willow Tree", "Good News Bad News", "Holding The Compass", "Anyway", and "Normans". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that has Family very much at the top of their game – and working in a format that some of their contemporaries were trying on record at the time – serving up one side of live material, and one set in the studio! Although the group are sometimes linked to the prog scene of the time, there's a quality here that's often more hard rock overall, especially on the live material – very thunderous drums and heady guitar work, and vocals from Roger Chapman singing at the rawer side of his spectrum! Titles include "Part Of The Load", "Willow Tree", "Good News Bad News", "Holding The Compass", "Anyway", and "Normans". 2CD edition is overflowing with bonus material – the cuts "Normans (US LP edit)", "Hung Up Down (1970 single)", "Strange Band (studio)", and "The Weavers Answer (1970 single)" – plus a bonus CD with a dozen more tracks from a BBC Top Gear session in September, 1970! CD

A really fantastic chapter in the career of the legendary Bill Fay – material that might have formed a lost third album, had any record company chosen to respond at the time – and which, presented here, really serves to illuminate a lost chapter in Bill's musical lineage! The set has Fay working with a small group of younger musicians who were originally fans who were disappointed that Decca never released another album after Bill's first two – so they got in touch, and set about helping Fay find a new vision in his music with their help! The sound is often stark and lean, with more of an edge than Fay's first two records – still graced with those enigmatic vocals and really haunting songwriting, but with moodier elements that really give the music some bite. The original batch of recordings has been expanded out here by a number of other rare recordings from the same time – really unique bits of varying length – and if you love Fay's music, you'll find plenty to love within! CD

A really fantastic chapter in the career of the legendary Bill Fay – material that might have formed a lost third album, had any record company chosen to respond at the time – and which, presented here, really serves to illuminate a lost chapter in Bill's musical lineage! The set has Fay working with a small group of younger musicians who were originally fans who were disappointed that Decca never released another album after Bill's first two – so they got in touch, and set about helping Fay find a new vision in his music with their help! The sound is often stark and lean, with more of an edge than Fay's first two records – still graced with those enigmatic vocals and really haunting songwriting, but with moodier elements that really give the music some bite. The original batch of recordings has been expanded out here by a number of other rare recordings from the same time – really unique bits of varying length – and if you love Fay's music, you'll find plenty to love within! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good – but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. Backings are by George Tipton, plus a jazz combo made up of Jim Horn, Ray Brown, and Milt Holland – but it's Jose that really makes the whole thing amazing! His style of presentation is like anything else we can describe – filled with sadness and soul, but enough joy to keep moving forward. He takes tracks like "Light My Fire", "In My Life", "Sunny", and "California Dreamin", and transforms them into an amazing document of the darkness hidden behind the sun of southern California. "California Dreamin" is especially amazing – and Jose's version is one of the best soul songs of all time! LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked 70s gem from the great Jose Feliciano – a set that really continues the warm soul styles he'd hit on his last few years at RCA – a wonderful blend for his unique vocals and his tremendous way of putting over a tune! The set was recorded down at Muscle Shoals, but it's got a nicely subtle approach that never tries to lean on the modes of that studio too strongly – avoiding some of the cliches that other records might showcase in such a setting – and throughout it all, it's clear that Jose's the star in the spotlight, using that warmly crackling vocal approach in a wonderful way – especially on the more upbeat modern soul moments. Titles include "Every Woman", "Marguerita", "Loving Her Was Easier", "Sweet Soul Music", "I Love Making Love To You", "Love Comes From Unexpected Places", and "Funny/Night Life". CD features the bonus track "What I Wanna Do". CD

A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". (Japanese, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". (Japanese, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Completely unreleased music from this legendary Boston group – one that features Mission Of Burma working with leader Dredd Foole, in a set of cuts that are completely incendiary all the way through! The material is mostly live, and even edgier than their studio work – and shows the sonic intensity and complexity that the Burma musicians bring to the performance – especially the organ and guitar work of Roger Miller, which really shows how much understanding of sound and power he's picked up in a few short years! The set features 10 live tracks – 9 of which were recorded at the legendary Rat Club – plus 2 more home recordings that are solo numbers – titles that include "So Tough", "Play With Fire", "Not A Beast", "Touch", "Greatest Band In Hell", "TV Eye", "Not The Same", "Behind You", and "Paint It Black". CD

A groovy little group from the northeast scene in the 70s – one who mix jazz and funk touches with some more roots-oriented material at times – all handled with instrumentation that's impeccable throughout! If these guys were out in Cali, they'd no doubt be working in the big studios of the time – or maybe would have even scored some sort of major label contract – yet the really wonderful thing about the record is that it's much more homegrown, and completely charming in the process – especially since their sound is very tight, but without too much overdone production. Titles include the great groover "Crazy Days" – plus "Blue Eyed Lady", "Fly Away", "Finding My Way Back Home", "I Can't Live Without You", "Nice Guys & Fools", and "Go On Away". Great reissue adds a number of bonus tracks to the original album! CD

A groovy little group from the northeast scene in the 70s – one who mix jazz and funk touches with some more roots-oriented material at times – all handled with instrumentation that's impeccable throughout! If these guys were out in Cali, they'd no doubt be working in the big studios of the time – or maybe would have even scored some sort of major label contract – yet the really wonderful thing about the record is that it's much more homegrown, and completely charming in the process – especially since their sound is very tight, but without too much overdone production. Titles include the great groover "Crazy Days" – plus "Blue Eyed Lady", "Fly Away", "Finding My Way Back Home", "I Can't Live Without You", "Nice Guys & Fools", and "Go On Away". Great reissue adds a number of bonus tracks to the original album! LP, Vinyl record album

A really joyous groove from Michel Fugain and his Big Bazar group – a sound that's a bit hard to describe, but which really grabs us right away! There's definitely some groovy rhythms going on in the set – and the style is kind of an updated French pop mode from the late 60s – swinging in a way that absorbs plenty of influences from the outside scenes, particularly some Brazilian ones – but with a sound that's definitely French all the way through. Fugain's vocals are in the lead, often supported by a chorus – and the backings by Jean Bouchety have this really cool soundtrack feel at points – especially when the rhythms are upbeat and grooving. Titles include "Allez Bouge-Toi", "Attention Mesdames Et Messieurs", "Notre Societe", "Les Gens Irremplacables", "Leda Leda", and "L'Arche De Noe". (French, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most fully-formed albums from The Fugs – still quite hippy dippy, but with a focus that's sometimes missing in their other work! And despite the somewhat major label placement of the set, there's arguably even more power here than on the group's earlier indie sides – thanks to strong use of the best elements that make up the tunes. There's still a great mix of styles going on – from Buddist chanting, to sing-song poetry, to some countrified rock – and the album's got enough room for playful detours, but always snaps back into some stronger song-based modes. Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso both make guest appearances, and titles include "Exorcising The Evil Spirits From The Pentagon October 21, 1967", "War Song", "Dover Beach", "Turn On/Tune In/Drop Out", "Wet Dream", "Hare Krishna", and "Aphrodite Mass". LP, Vinyl record album

An album we come back to more and more over the years – a bit more subtle than some of the other Gabriel-era Genesis records, but in a really great way! You'll not get any overly-heavy concepts here, yet the album still retains all the instrumental complexity the group was getting so great at – nicely subtle at times, a bit more expanded at others – and with a balance of bigger songs and more personal moments that hints at the direction the group would take after Peter Gabriel. Instrumentation is superb, especially the keyboards – and titles include "Aisle Of Plenty", "Firth Of Fifth", "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight", "I Know What I Like", "Battle Of Epping Forest", "The Cinema Show", and "More Fool Me" – the last of which was a key early vocal moment for Phil Collins. LP, Vinyl record album