A key album in the legendary early years of Gong – that mythical moment when the group was almost more like a cult or a commune than just another rock band on the scene! The set has the group very firmly ensconced in their French country home, where the record was recorded – with a mindblowing lineup that includes the great Daevid Allen on vocals and guitar, Didier Malherbe on tenor and soprano sax, Gilli Smyth on second vocal, Steve Hillage on guitar, and Pierre Moerlen on drums and percussion – plus lots of other surprises along the way. Titles include "Selene", "Other Side Of The Sky", "Castle In The Clouds", "Oily Way", "Flute Salad", and "I Never Glid Before". LP, Vinyl record album

Think the Beastie Boys went straight into hip hop? No – back at the start, they were three guys with plenty of energy who dabbled in a number of modes that were brewing big in the New York scene of their youth – including punk rock and reggae, both of which are featured here along with early hip hop experiments! The set begins with their searing "Egg Raid On Mojo" – the moves through "Beastie Boys", "Transit Cop", "Jimi", "Holy Snappers, "Riot Fight", "Beastie Rvolution", and "Michelle's Farm". But maybe best of all, the album includes the incredible Cooky Puss EP – which features the original "Cooky Puss" song that has the group calling up Carvel Ice Cream, and harassing the staff by asking to talk to an ice cream cake! (Hip Hop, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary debut of The Allman Brothers – and a set that maybe set the tone for countless southern rock albums to emerge in the following decade! Yet even at the start, the Allmans are still set apart from the rest – a fiercely jamming band who created the structure for most of the tunes by working together with an almost jazz-like inspiration – blending the guitars of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts with organ and vocals from Gregg Allman, driven by the massive bass of Berry Oakley, and held strong through the percussion efforts of Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks. Titles include the classic "Whipping Post", plus "Dreams", "Every Hungry Woman", "Don't Want You No More", "Black Hearted Woman", "Trouble No More", and "It's Not My Cross To Bear". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from one of the key groups who put the "hard" in the American hardcore scene – and a record that's so blisteringly intense, we still sometimes have to check to make sure we've got it on the right speed! Although Bad Brains may fly the flag of the Rastas, and definitely claim a reggae influence – the record manages to both blow away the work of the LA scene with its full-on hardcore tracks, and the UK scene with the group's few reggae-styled numbers. The original was only issued as a cassette, but that hasn't stopped it from being one of the key punk records of the time – and titles include "Sail On", "Don't Need It", "Attitude", "The Regulator", "Banned In DC", "Jah Calling", "Supertouch/Shitfit", "Leaving Babylon", "Fearless Vampire Killers", "I", "Big Take Over", "Pay To Cum", "Right Brigade", "I Luv I Jah", and "Intro". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant soul album! That's right, we said SOUL album! Bowie was at the height of his Ziggy Stardust fame when this one was recorded – a drastic left-turn in styles, forged during a point in his American tour when he could take a break, head to Philly, plug in at the Sigma Sound Studios, and come up with some fantastic little soul tunes, thanks to help from Luther Vandross! The album sparkles with the best sound of Luther's early work – and you'll hear more than a bit of Luther's work on his own, and his tunes with Gregg Diamond on the set. Features the sublime tracks "Win", "Fascination", "Right", "Somebody Up There Likes Me", and "Can You Hear Me" – as well as the hits "Young Americans" and "Fame". LP, Vinyl record album

Rootsy noise sweetened by raggedly alluring melodicism from Califone – still one of the most vital and idiosyncratic groups of their time! We can no long heap the experimentalist tag on Califone – if we ever really could. They've got quite a sonic blueprint laid down after 8 or so albums, but they do continue to surprise us. Roots And Crowns is a strange and compelling blend of crackling, somehow rural sounds & percussion, strummed and sometimes chugging guitars, pastoral found-sound atmosphere and singing that's no more or less part of the ether than any other element. A timeless piece of work! Tracks include "Pink & Sour", "Spider's House" (which references Brian Wilson at his furthest out stage), "The Eye You Lost In The Crusades" (which references Nick Drake a bit in the guitar), "A Chinese Actor", "Our Kitten Sees Ghosts", "The Orchids", "Black Metal Valentine", "Rose Petal Ear", "3legged Animals", "If You Would" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from John Prine – his Atlantic debut, done at a time when he was emerging from the second generation of the Chicago folk scene – with a style that set the tone for countless singer/songwriters in years to come! The record has immediate appeal to ears tuned towards hip country, folk, and the more personal side of rock at the time – as Prine sings his material with a wry wit that's simultaneously heartbreaking, with support from the great Reggie Young on guitar and Bobby Emmons on organ – plus work on two tracks from scenemate and soon-to-be-star Steve Goodman on guitar. Titles include the seminal "Hello In There" – a tune that's hard to believe was written by a 24 year old – plus "Six O'Clock News", "Sam Stone", "Donald & Lydia", "Illegal Smile", "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", and "Far From Me". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic collection – one that seems to find a special place that's all its own – a bit folk funk, a bit jazzy soul, a bit something else that we can't define at all – all sewn together through a wonderfully well-chosen batch of cuts that we might never have heard otherwise! Paul Hillery uses words next to each of the titles to describe the tunes, ala an older sound library record – like "canyon cool", or "susurrations of the sea", "ethno-fusion", "swelling cellos", and so on – all light ways of getting at the vibe of the album's beautiful mix of laidback vocals and easygoing instrumentation – definitely music that's perfect for spending some time with the setting sun! Titles include "Fields Of Green" by Carm Mascarenhas, "Colorado Red Sky" by MCF, "Mojafe" by Hardin & Russell, "Be With Me" by Pat Rahming, "Wet Dreams" by Floyd Hunchback Group, "Surfer Girl" by Persona La Ave, "In Passing" by Kimberle, "Over & Over" by Andy Davis, "Playin Your Game" by Blaine L Reininger, "The Shadows Dance" by Graeme Gash, "It All Comes Around" by Parker MacDonnell, and "The Light" by Reggio. (Funky Compilations, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album